Showing posts with label BBQ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBQ. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 June 2016

The Real Man Travels 2016 Father's Day Gift Guide

The Real Man Travels 2016 Father's Day Gift Guide.

We here at Real Man Travels consider ourselves experts of sorts when it comes to buying gifts for Dads. With 60% of our staff being dads, and 100% of us having fathers you could say we have the required experience to make such a bold claim. Without further delay here is this years gift guide:

Gift Ideas from Ed

1. BBQ Light 

If your dad is anything like mine, then drinking in the sunlight trumps cooking in the sunlight. For the dad who doesn’t spark the grill until 8:30-9:00pm a BBQ light is the solution to night time cooking. These come in a variety of styles, the most common being an attachment to the BBQ’s handle. You can pick one up for as little as $10, just remember you get what you pay for!


Grill anytime with Weber BBQ light


2. Mounted Beer Opener 

You could take the easy route and buy a pre-made mounted beer opener for your dad. Or you could finally show off all the skills your dad taught you throughout the years by making him a custom one. Look around the interwebs for any opener that suits your needs and get out into the workshop to make a custom mount that your dad will not only be proud of, but use every day! My tips for this gift is to have a cap catcher on it and tie in some elements that speaks to your Dad, favourite sports team, favourite brand of beer, etc. Bonus if you end up making one that your Mom doesn’t mind having on the wall.



Mounted beer opener available on Etsy.


3. Secrid Wallet 


It is time for your old man to lose the bulky wallet system he currently has (he probably still has a Blockbuster membership card in there). Bring your old man into the present with Secrid’s line of sleek and sexy wallets. I’ve personally been using the Slimwallet for almost a year now and people always look at me when I press the button to slide my cards out like I have some space age contraption. The main compartment can hold 5-6 cards and it has slots for an additional 6. There is also a plastic fold for any cash your Dad may need to carry. The best part is the amount of pocket space that is freed up, and how much more comfortable sitting for long periods has become.


Secrid Slimwallet in Brown


Gift Ideas from Sam


1. Gillette Shave Club 

About a year ago I used a gift guide to recommend dollar shave club, So what's changed you ask? Up until recently if you wanted a razor delivered to your door you were restricted to Dollar Shave Club. Finally an entry from a major name in men's grooming is entering the subscription razor market, and I am in favour. I would describe myself as someone with sensitive skin, so other than finding a barber to offer a straight shave, the Gillette fusion was the pinnacle for me. Quite frankly my first shave was with a Mach 3, and it still might be the best shave on the market. Gillette Shave Club options are available on a subscription basis, as well as the most recent addition, the fusion ProShield, offering lubrication before and after the blades. for as little as $16.99 every 5 months (Gillette's cartridge may last up to one month each depending on your shave schedule) you can send your "Old Man" the best a man can get.


Gillette Shave Club package, the best a man can get.


2. Solar Powered Bluetooth Speaker

Bluetooth Speakers have been all the rage for over a year now. With every passing month they have been made smaller, longer lasting, more colourful, more powerful and even waterproof . Well now there's even solar for the dad who enjoys the outdoors. Now he can enjoy enjoy soaking up the rays while pumping out the kind of music that embarrasses you in front of your friends.
Eton solar powered Bluetooth speaker

3. Beer and Meat 

Sometimes it's the simple things that bring us the most joy. Plus, what dad doesn't enjoy grilling steaks while sipping back a cold one. Vegans and vegetarians, that's who. Alright, so there's a few dad's this won't work for, but if your dad is the carnivorous type, pick up some T-bones, or tenderloins, and pair it with a 6 pack of his favourite beer, and you'll be good to go.

MEAT!

Gift ideas from Chris


1. Muskoka Brewery's SummerWeiss

Is your dad a Weiss man? If so then he will love this unfiltered nectar of the gods.  If you are unsure of his taste get him a beer mixer pack, you're bound to get one or two that he will like

Muskoka Brewery Summerweiss

2. A Super Sweet Hawaiian shirt

If your dad has a good sense of humour and a terrible sense for fashion, BOOM! Perfect gift. Just promise me one thing, make sure that you get him a shirt that fits him properly. Everyone will at least thank you in advance for that.

A Hawaiin Shirt...actually looks good!

3. Matching Kid and Dad outfits

I may be a huge sucker for cuteness but I love matching my kids sometimes. Sometimes it feels like we are Luke and our little one is Yoda on our back. Or we are Arnold and he or she is Danny Devito. Or in this instance we are Maverick with your partner goose. Totes Adorbs.

Matching Dad and kids clothes

Gift Ideas from Scott

1. Power washer 

Dads like to keep their stuff clean. Cars, patio, siding, lawn mower – Dads know they all look, feel and function better when well maintained. Don’t worry, a power washer won’t be looked upon as a judgement of the current level of maintained cleanliness, or as an implication of work expected; it will be valued as a secret acknowledgement, a carefully directed wink and gun if you will, of Dad’s manly value of steadfast meticulousness.

Power wash all the things!


2. Undershirts

Dads have a lot on the go. They also tend to hate shopping for anything that doesn’t have 250+ horsepower or 80,000+ BTUs. Thus, Dads tend to wear underwear past its best before date. Consider picking up some high quality small clothes for the man who tackles the big stuff with ease.

If you must walk around the house with no pants on Dad, please look good doing it!

3. SoundTouch® 520 home cinema system from Bose 

For those who really want to make Dad happy, consider automating his life with a sweet home entertainment system from Bose. Give Dad the gift of controlling his music from anywhere in the house, including the backyard and garage. I’m not saying you’re going to win kid-of-the-year for this, but, really, you probably will.

Loud noises thanks to Bose.



Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Bick's Contest - Win a Big Green Egg!

As Canadians, we are resigned to the reality that our winters are long and our summers short. As such, we find ways to seize summer and make the utmost of its brief glory. Long, hot, hazy days are embraced as we swap our snow pants for shorts and our toques for t-shirts - often ridiculously early at the first hint of warmth.



There are a few telltale signs that herald the arrival of summer in Canada: the firing of sputtering lawnmowers, the filling of long-dormant restaurant patios, and the inevitable invites from friends and family finally breaking their winter hibernation. But two signs stand out above all others: highway traffic swelling with eager cottage-goers on route to cottage country, and the amazing smell of adding burgers to a fiery grill!


Bick's, purveyor of the finest pickles and other garnishes and condiments, were kind enough to invite the good lads from Real Man Travels to experience both these stand-out summer signals (well, the cottage, not the traffic) a couple of weeks ago. We also helped prove that burgers and pickles are truly the perfect pair. More on that in a future post, but we wanted to share a really fun contest they have announced with the chance to win a Big Green Egg BBQ - the ultimate cooking experience! These awesome-looking grills will allow you to signal summer far and wide and become the envy of your griller-hood. To enter, you must Find Bick's a Burger! Click here to learn how you can be entered to win, all while checking out amazing burger recipes.




Wednesday, 10 June 2015

5 Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Social Dad

Today's Father's Day gift guide is dedicated to the social dad; the one who has created a backyard primed for hanging out with friends and family.

1. The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook by David Ort

Barbeques and beer, how can you go wrong. Combining these two beautiful entities is sure to win the social dad's approval. Great recipes and excellent photography make for a great book for use and display.


2. Patio Cooler 

A perfect mix of cool and practical, dad will appreciate being able to put the old igloo out to pasture and replace it with this new patio fixture.


3. Giant Tumbling Timbers 

Think Jenga, only bigger. An awesome outdoor party game that dad will love.

CONTEST: Win a $125 Travel Shave Kit from @KingsCrown and @RealManTravels by tweeting the URL of this post, with the hidden hashtag #RMTSocialDad and mention @KingsCrown1774 and @RealManTravels. You can also Like us on Facebook and post the hidden hashtag #RMTSocialDad to our page for a bonus entry! Winner to be announced June 19th, 2015. Contest is only open to Canadian residents. More details here: Contest Details
4. Napoleon Patioflame® Table 

If asked, dad might prefer a wood-fed fire. But he will surely appreciate being able to have a flame be the centerpiece of outdoor entertaining, at the touch of a button.

5. Big Green Egg 

Dad will love this cool cooking device that triples as a barbeque, an over and a smoker. Ceramic cooking surfaces have a lifetime warranty and won’t rust.



Monday, 2 June 2014

A Real Man Travels Guide To BBQ Etiquette

With the warm weather here to stay you're probably fielding more than a few invites for backyard BBQs with your friends and colleagues. Here at Real Man Travels, we too enjoy the age old pass time of touching meat to flame. That said, there's an etiquette that must be abided when attending another man's BBQ; a few simple rules to show respect to the grill master of the house. We've compiled the list to assist you in avoiding any flaming faux pas.

1. Never ever ever ever ever, not even if it's a ball of flames, touch another man's grill. Really, who are you to touch another man's grill? I don't care if you're the Man of The Year, don't do it.

Charbroiled to perfection!

2. If you are going to approach the grill master, make it a social visit. He doesn't need your advice on when to flip a burger. So keep your eyes off his meat.

3. Do not debate the merits of propane vs. natural gas. This is not the time or the place. If you have to ask if it IS the time or the place, then it is still not the time or the place.

4. BYOB. Simple enough, but bring something share worthy. A unique beer can be a great icebreaker when meeting new people. Your beer will say a lot about you, so don't get too carried away or you might come off  a bit snobby. Though you do want to stand out from the other six guys holding silver bullets.

Double Trouble Brewing Co. is a favourite in the Real Man beer fridge

5. If your beer needs a refill, see if your grill master needs one too. Real men look out for one another.

6. Be a side dish sidekick. When accepting the invite to a BBQ make sure you ask if there's anything you can bring. While this is good manners, it also reduces the chances of eight bowls of potato salad finding there way into the garbage.

7. Dress appropriately. If you're doing some grilling with your buds you can wear almost anything, but when you're invited as a guest try not look like a hobo (unless the BBQ is hobo-themed). I'm not saying you have to dress like you're partying with The Great Gatsby, but just because the sun's out, doesn't mean you should to bring the guns out either.

8. Use your manners. Something I notice almost everyday regardless of where I am is how little people say a simple "please" or "thank you." Bring your manners when you hit the summer BBQ circuit.

9. Your mom isn't here, so clean up after yourself. It's not a lot of work cleaning up after a BBQ but helping bottles and cans make it into the recycling bin on your way out goes a long way with your host. Note, if your mom is the host, help clean up anyway, you ingrate!

10. Secure transportation BEFORE you start drinking. We all know there is no excuse for drinking and driving. Real men don't drink and drive. Plan ahead: get picked up, take a cab, walk, or crash on the couch.



Think we are out of line? Have a guideline of your own? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below

-Sam

Monday, 12 May 2014

Sunny Day's Call For A Getaway: Sip & Sizzle - Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake


With the the Canadian weather in fine form, and a long weekend finally in sight, you're probably making plans for the unofficial start of summer. I'm willing to bet that to the average reader of Real Man Travels, the idea of booze and a barbecue has you drooling on your keyboard, but if you want to take that plan to the next level, plan a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake this May and check out Sip & Sizzle!


With 26 wineries, each showcasing one of their homegrown gifts-from-the-gods, along with a savory selection from the grill every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., you might as well make it a weekend if you have hopes of trying them all.

Guys, I know you're probably grumbling as you read this, thinking "this sounds pretty girly, step it up Real Man Travels." To that I have one simple response - vine smoked lake perch wrapped in wild boar bacon from Pellar Estates Winery. That sounds pretty damn manly to me.


With 21 of the 26 wineries serving up a variety of grilled meats ranging from beef, pork and chicken to mussels, shrimp, salmon and scallops, there's something for everyone. Please remember to enjoy both meat and wine responsibly!

-Sam

Thursday, 3 April 2014

This Week in Beer - Ale-Induced Anecdotals

A post by Scott F 

Beer is awesome, but you knew that. But did you know that beer could get... awesomer (not a real word)? Some very cool stories of people doing awesome things with beer have crept up in the last couple of weeks that we thought our readers would find interesting. Enjoy!

Beer brewed from prehistoric whale fossils

What? It’s true. These folks found yeast in the bones of some long dead whale and said: “Hey, yeast makes beer, let’s use this prehistoric whale bone yeast to make beer.” To be fair that is exactly what I would be thinking. The Lost Rhino Brewing Company is behind the new Bone Dusters Paleo Ale (get it, paleo, har har). They teamed up with a non-profit called Paleo Quest to pull of this feat of brewing magic. Finally, a practical use for old bones. Check out the story.


On the topic of odd beer ingredients, how about smoked goat brains?

The newest in a long line of TV promo beers (including the Ommegang Brewery Game of Thrones-inspired brews), the AMC’s The Walking Dead now has a beer of its own. If you’re going to make a beer for zombie fanatics you don’t go half way, so these guys threw in some brains, you know, for authenticity sake. Story here.


Beer fasting.

Most people give up trifles for lent like watch Ellen or their daily Oreo indulgence. Chris Schryer, like few others before him, is giving up food. Yes, food. He’s subsiding of only beer during his observance. Follow his exploration on his blog (great reads).

Baseball and beer. Enough said.

Thrillist.com took it upon themselves to match every Major League Baseball team with a beer that they felt fit best. I’ll say nothing about them matching up the Toronto Blue Jays with Labatt’s Blue, other than it’s a lazy travesty. Still a good read. 

Beer your meat, if you know what’s good for you.

Scientists have found that marinating your meat in beer can prevent the formation of crazy compounds from the grill that can cause cancer. That’s right, beer beats cancer. 

Rob Ford announces the Ford Nation Brewing Company.

Seriously! Okay, not seriously. A well-played April Fools’ Day article by Mom ‘n’ Hops declared that Toronto’s embattled mayor was setting out to create the best beer the city’s ever had. They noted that a gravy-flavoured beer was also on the way. Nicely done, Mom 'n' Hops.