Photographed on our street
Raised in:
Tomball, Texas
Lives in:
Jasper, Georgia
Favorite BBQ spot in Georgia:
Bigun’s BBQ in Talking Rock. Great ribs and it’s within 3 miles of our house.
Now would ya look at that:
Mark and our boy, Jed.
Photographed by Tom Spray
It shouldn’t be news to you how deep my love for good R&B jams goes. So when I came across Tom Krell, aka, How To Dress Well, I sort of lost it, and I couldn’t believe he’d been hiding from me all this time. His new album “What Is This Heart?” has just about everything I love wrapped in one incredible gift. And bonus points for having dubbing one of the best stage names in the game.
Since my first listen a little over a week ago, it’s been my most played album by far. I can’t quit it. To directly quote Rolling Stone, his “velvet voice is at his best when he’s most vulnerable…His early recordings were grief-stricken and raw; subsequent releases have expanded and refined his sound without ever quite reaching the same heights. Krell’s third LP continues to elevate his R&B-inflected music into sonic clarity, though his emotions remain muddled as ever.” Velvet voice. R&B-inflected music. I can’t stop won’t stop.
Stream: “Repeat Pleasure”
Repeat Pleasure
Go jam What Is This Heart?
iTunes | Spotify
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Subscribe to Go Back Down South, a playlist of all the songs featured here.
This is a mini takeover with Jamie Clayton to teach y’all a litle sumpin’ sumpin’. He’d been going on and on recently about a peach infused bourbon he made, and then later another with pecans added. I took the oppurtunity on a recent trip to Nashville to head over to his house to first and foremost, taste it (YUM), and second, photograph the process so y’all can make some of your own.
The rest of the post is written by him:
My neighbors and good friends Stephen & Jessica own The Peach Truck. Its an awesome business where they take peaches from Peach County, GA (I’m not kidding) and sell them all over Nashville and small towns across the southeast. Being from South Carolina, I’m partial to my peaches and I have to admit, these are some of the best damn peaches I’ve ever had.
Another cool thing The Peach Truck sells is pecans from Pearson Farm. I decided this summer I would infuse some of my favorite whiskies with The Peach Truck peaches & pecans. It’s easily one of the best decisions I’ve made this summer. The ONLY problem is that the bourbon goes too quick.
For how good it tastes, it’s incredibly easy to make…
In an airtight container, add 4 peeled and cut up peaches (large chunks) and a hefty handful of pecans.
Get a bottle of your favorite whiskey – make it something you would enjoy sipping neat or on ice. Pour the entire 750ml bottle of bourbon into your container.
Close that bad boy up and give it a good shake. Keep it in your fridge and give it a light shake once a day.
Wait about 5-7 days and then strain your whiskey into a bottle. I used an old Bulleit bottle because lets be honest, they look badass.
When you strain the bourbon, put a cheesecloth in a funnel and strain about 2-3 times. Your end goal is gorgeous bourbon with as little sediment as possible in it.
EDITORS NOTE: Jamie just moved and in the process he lost his smaller funnel so he has been using this giant one. It did the job and did the job well.
After you double strain your whiskey – you are good to go. Once you strain one, I’d recommend starting on another. Trust me. By the time you finish your first bottle you are going to be hoping you have another bottle ready to be strained.
The end product is a bourbon with a nice subtle note of peach and pecan
Pour into a double old fashioned glass over an ice sphere and garnish with a peach peel.
Glass: Old Syndey Hale candle.
Photographed in Jasper, GA
Raised in:
Spring, Texas
Lives in:
Jasper, Georgia
Next Southern summer adventure:
We’re heading to Junction, Texas for a 4th of July weekend including, but not limited to, a Stoney LaRue concert, family, fireworks and river floating.
Now would ya look at that:
Hands down my new favorite oxford by Huxter. The elbow patch is an antique map of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, where Huxter calls home, and I hope to visit someday.
It doesn’t get better than living out the lyrics to “Pontoon,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” and about 100 other country songs.
Photographed via Fuji Instax and Kodak Waterproof Disposable Cameras (yup, they do still exist, and they’re just as fun as they were in 1995).
Back this hitch up into the water, untie all the cables and rope.
Step onto the astro turf, get yourself a koozie…let’s go…
Who said anything about skiin’? Floatin’ is all I wanna do…
You can climb the ladder, just don’t rock the boat while I barbeque…
On the pontoon, makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof…
Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to…
Party in slow motion, out here in the open…
Mmmmmmm…motorboatin’…
Reach your hand down into the cooler…
Don’t drink it if the mountains aren’t blue…
Try to keep it steady as you recline on your black inner tube…
Pontoon…makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof…
Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to…
Party in slow motion, out here in the open…
Mmmmmm…motorboatin’…
Special thanks to:
In memory of the turquoise Dior sunglasses who now lay peacefully at the bottom of Percy Priest Lake.
And of course, there was a perfect playlist.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we love Huckberry. So when the nice guys over there contacted us about teaming up for a little giveaway, we said “of course.” When they said they’d like it be part of the Drink This series, we liked them even more.
I’m pretty sure you’ve all seen The Mason Shaker. To be honest, I gave it a lot of flack when it came out. Being a part of the wedding industry has really burned me out on all things mason jars. But this 32oz shaker is pretty fun, I must admit. It’s a great addition to a fully stocked bar (if even just for asthetic), and a nice place to start for those in need of a shaker/strainer combo.
Shortly after I received it, I finally ordered a pair of copper Moscow Mule mugs and when they arrived, I needed to use them immediately…
I’m not much of a vodka fan for anything but Bloody’s and OJ, so I wanted to try a variation on the Moscow Mule. Below are the recipes to two great cocktails to mix up your “Mule” drinking. The first, a Gin-Gin Mule, I was introduced to by Imbibe, who named it one of the 25 most influential cocktails of the past century in their May/June 2010 issue. The second, The Montauk Mule, I found in Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails.
The Gin-Gin Mule:
Gently muddle the mint leaves with lime juice and syrup in shaker.
Add the gin and ice and shake well.
Strain into cup filled with crushed ice and top with with ginger beer.
Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig.
The Montauk Mule:
Shake uses “Shot” meausurements to make 2 drinks. We adjusted to ounces for 1 drink.
Muddle cane sugar and lime juice in shaker until sugar has mostly disolved.
Add vodka and ice and “shake vigourously for 10 seconds.”
Strain mixture into tumblers or Mule mugs if you’ve got ’em, and top with Prosecco.
Garnish with mint sprig if desired.
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Want one more reason why Huckberry is the greatest? They want to send one of you lucky folks a pretty ridiculous gift set.
What the winner will get…
Leave a comment below letting us know the highlight of your summer so far. We’ll pick a winner by random on July 1st around cocktail hour. Oh and also, you’ll get an extra entry if you Tweet the following:
I wanna shake, shake, shake a @Masonshaker! Ridiculous giveaway thanks to @Huckberry on @backdownsouth. http://tinyurl.com/ShaaaaaakeIt
Photographed in Atlanta, GA
Raised in:
Alpharetta, Georgia
Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia
Favorite bar in Atlanta:
Northside Tavern, hands down. Live blues music every night. Even though it looks like a hellhole from the outside, it’s like a club…once you go, you get it.
Now would ya look at that:
Shot during he and Lindsey’s engagement session.
See also: Jay, Part I.
Photographed in Atlanta, GA
Raised in:
Powder Springs, Georgia
Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia
You can only shop in one store for the rest of your life…where would it be:
Well now, that’s tough.
Everyday essentials – Target and Capital City Liquor.
Vintage treasures – Goodwill.
For that something special and everything beautiful – Niemans.
Now would ya look at that:
Shot during her and Jay’s engagement session.
Photographed in Savannah, GA
Raised in:
Mountain Brook, Alabama
Lives in:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Favorite spot in Savannah:
That’s tough! I saw so much, so quickly. Everything is beautiful and magical there, not unlike New Orleans. If I had to pick, it might be Dept. 7 East because I got to pause for a moment to appreciate Savannah before the wedding weekend. The cold rosé, great company, and Croque with pimento cheese was a perfect intro to Savannah.
Now would ya look at that:
I declared Brandon the “best dressed wedding guest” at this wedding.
Photographed in Atlanta, GA (2012)
Sadly, I think Augustana is known by most as a one hit wonder for “Boston” from their 2005 album, All the Stars and Boulevards. They’ve put out 3 albums since then, and their self-titled release in 2011 is without a doubt one of my favorite albums. When I heard they’d be releasing Life Imitating Life in April, I was ecstatic, but also a little nervous. How could they top Augustana? I was worried I’d be incredibly let down after 3 years of falling more and more in love Augustana.
I have to admit, at first listen of Life Imitating Life, I liked it…but I didn’t love it. It was new, and new Augustana music felt a little weird to me. But the more and more I listened, the more I started to love it, and this summer, it’s been one of my most played albums. The other night after a summer storm with a sunset that no Instagram account could possibly do justice to, I played “Need a Little Sunshine” with the windows down at full volume at least 15 times in a row. It’s quickly becomming my anthem for Summer 2014. That track, and the one below, are my favorites from the album, but the entire thing is truly fantastic.
Stream: “Alive”
Alive
Now do yourself a favor and watch Dan Layus talk a little bit about the song and absolutely kill an acoustic version of it.