We're trying something new this year in lieu of Black Friday. It's called Give Back Friday: 15% of every purchase you make this weekend will benefit Warriors' Ascent - a Kansas City, Mo. based non-fpo that works with Veterans & First Responders in uniquely addressing PTSD.
It’s now been over a year since we launched the Original Snake Bite key chain bottle opener and the response has been downright fantastic. It’s been fascinating to watch the dedication and interest flourish over the past 16 months and it continues to grow even more than we anticipated.
That being said, it should be clear that we’re not a company that likes to rest on our laurels. Through extensive testing and feedback from our friends and community, we’ve been able to introduce a few refinements to our flagship product that we felt we should introduce officially:
The original stainless steel design has not changed at all, but we’ve improved a few specific areas in order to make sure it looks great and works to the best of its ability.
• Rolled Edges: The edges of the tool are rolled now. This creates a smoother edge for handling as well as a more finished look overall.
• Tumbling: We now tumble every bottle opener in a blended ceramic media to give a consistent finish, look, and shine. This tumbling also slightly reduces the sharpness of the teeth so they work great, but aren’t too sharp.
We now install stainless steel wave washers in between the leather and the bottle opener, where the eyelet holds everything in place, in order to maintain a consistent pressure. Leather is a natural material that changes shape as it ages and this washer helps to retain tension no matter how many years you’ve had your Snake Bite.
Wave Washer Placement 
You read that right. As of October 20, 2015 Snake Bite Co. officially received patent number D741,125. We’ve reflected our new favorite number on the back of the leather sheath as well as a little Old Glory underneath to reinforce our commitment to domestic manufacturing. Maybe a minor detail for some folks, but we really are proud of our patent and country.
There you have it. Hopefully you’re a fan of our new upgrades as we try to raise the mark we’ve made in making the most unique keychain bottle opener even better. We want to build something that you can use for a very long time. This requires us to make sure that whatever we build is capable of holding up to the rigors of everyday carrying and beer-opening. Bottom line – you shouldn’t ever be worried about having a good time.
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It's August here in the Midwest. The Sun is blazing and our backs and beer cans are sweating in unison. It's no secret that we love a brew straight out the can, but this summer heat offers an opportunity for a bit of a beverage upgrade. In the interest of remaining outside and hydrated we've been sipping frosty glasses filled with craft beer cocktails. When it's dangerously hot outside we don't want to stay thirsty, we want to stay cool. Here's some of our favorite go-to beer & booze concoctions:
Photo credit: dirtylaundrykitchen.com
First up is a cocktail that shares our namesake as well as the simplest concoction in the class. If you're dealing with oppressive heat and the sloth like lethargy that accompanies it, a Snake Bite is your quickest route to sweet relief. 2 ingredients, 1 glass.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pour the cider into the pint glass first, then the beer. Then drink it. That's literally it.
You can find a more sophisticated recipe (with cassis) here!
Photocredit: T. Tseng
We were served this restorative drink on a vacation that feels much too far away and we've been trying to replicate it ever since. Similar to a Bloody Mary this drink has saved the day-after for us many times over. We have both a legitimate recipe and our lazy version below.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pour about a TBSP of Tajin seasoning onto a small plate. Cut the lime in half and rub on the rim of a pint glass then press the rim of the glass into the Tajin. Fill the glass 1/2 way with ice then a 1/3 of the way with Clamato. Splash in the hot sauce, Worchestershire, and lime juice. Fill to the top with your Mexican lager of choice. Sprinkle with the Tajin, swirl and sip. No need for a buffet's worth of garnishment, this drink is perfect as is.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Fill a pint glass 1/2 way with ice then pour the can of V8 over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper* then fill to the top with your mystery beer, swirl and sip.
*Pro-tip - putting the salt and pepper in the center instead of the top will prevent you from breathing in the pepper and choking on it while you try to power that Michelazy down.
Photo credit: whitneyinchicago
Quickest way to class up a beer? Expensive fruit juice and herb sprigs!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Fill a pint glass 1/2 way with ice then 1/3 of the way with pineapple juice. Fill 1/3 way with champagne or prosecco (can't go wring with Sophia Blancde Blanc). Place a single pineapple spear and sprig of rosemary artfully into the glass. Fill to the top with ale of choice. Pinkie's out, heathens.
Photo credit: Andrew Purcell
Before you all start hollerin’ at us about how ginger beer isn’t a beer, save it. We don’t care. This drink is that east coast business and we will not refuse it a place on our list.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Drop a couple of ice cubes into a rocks glass. Pour 2 ounces of Bourbon on top, then squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over it. Fill a cereal spoon with maple syrup then mix into the glass. Pour ginger beer to the top. Garnish with any lime quarters you haven’t mangled in the process.
Photo credit: thebittenword.com
This is the cocktail that started it all. The drink that taught us that beer + things = yes. You can’t argue with that math. Pitchers of Skippers have accompanied us on our many camping adventures, been present at countless BBQ’s, and have saved the one or two dry weddings we were obligated to attend. We love you Skipper.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Find a vessel that is large enough to house the above ingredients. Pour them in, mix and yeah...that’s about it. A red solo cup rounded out the experience in our college days but as of late, and due to their break out popularity in the early 2010’s, we can’t throw a rock without hitting a mason jar around here - so that’s what we use now. This drink needs a lot of ice. Warm Skippers are what nightmares are made of.
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That’s our top 5! Didn’t see your favorite on the list? Let us know. There are still many hot days and nights in our future. Also, consider this our PSA, if it is criminally hot outside we recommend drinking water. No shame in that game, hydration is the coolest.
It’s going to be perfect weather this weekend and you have a dozen or so friends that you NEED to enjoy it with. ‘’But what to do?’’ you ask out loud and to no one in particular... then a deep voice inside of you answers back, "BBQ. Party. Obviously."
You've done this before. You spent your 20's doing this on small apartment balconies and decks made entirely of splinters. Except that it's different now that you're just a bit more grown up, gainfully employed and regularly eating normal food that doesn't come in taco bell wrappers. A half-empty cardboard case of cheap beer and a watery package of hot dogs won't cut it anymore.
Fear not, we're here to help:
Fun & spontaneous bbq's need to be just that: Fun and Spontaneous. If you’re sending your friends a curated list of activities and items to bring you should expect to enjoy a quiet evening at home by yourself. Also - any BBQ that requires more than a week or two of notice is going to be ignored, either by accident or on purpose. BBQ’s are great, but you can’t realistically hype them for two weeks. Give people only a few day's notice and the newness of your shiny BBQ will clinch their attendance.
‘’But wait!’’ you say ‘’My friends need more notice so they can line up a babysitter in time!’’ At this age, your group of friends is going to consist of single, married, married with children…etc.
Don’t shut out your friends little families. Embrace them! You have no idea how nice it is for your friends to know their kids are invited and welcome at your BBQ Party. Plus - your friends may not have much in the way of updates, but the nonsense their kids will want to tell you will entertain you for days. Embrace the youth! Let them run wild! When they’ve reached the point of diminishing return let them retreat inside with their iPads and iPhones before adorably passing out.
Your friends can drink sad cans of trash beer while watering their lawn or solo-Netflixing. This is a gathering of substance, so your beer needs to be of substance as well. Provide local craft brewery choices and encourage your friends to bring a 6-pack of something weird. You may get some truly awful tasting beers that live in your fridge for the next 3 months, but you’ll typically discover at least one new gem. For this particular soiree we brought a strong variety of Four Hands and Urban Chestnut beers.
Put down the two for one cheese-filled hot dogs that expired last week. Those meals come back to haunt you. Don’t do that to your friends. Get some all beef kosher dogs and grass-fed meats. If you have non-animal eating friends ask them what they’d like to have. Your veg and vegan friends will most likely volunteer to bring something that’s actually edible. Also, Shish-kabobs? Shish-ka-yes. Veggie, meat, veggie and meat, always a crowd pleaser. A general rule of life is that food on sticks is good.
Unless this is a Prom-themed BBQ (don’t do that, that sounds awful)
you need to make sure you address these two things in this order:
A. Comfort
B. Style
Comfort because you will be cooking, backyard gaming, and partying like crazy; you won’t have the time or opportunity to be removing whatever piece of clothing out of whatever crack it’s not supposed to be in. Don’t wear your actual pajamas, unless you want people to think they’re attending a sleepover.
Style because SELFIES know no age. Guaranteed you will be on the internet within five minutes of that party starting. No need to wear your best club clothes (just kidding - you don’t go to the club anymore) but you should wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable. For example, have you seen our Snake Bite brand T-shirt and the new ladies Tank? They’re a proven source of quality instagram likes.
Remember the life lesson about sticks? Food on sticks? All foods. Especially dessert foods. You're not that old yet. Remember what it felt like to be a kid? Lick that pop. Then rip a shot.
The kids are asleep, the boring couples have left and there is still plenty of beer leftover. Bring out that extra bottle of tequila you've been saving for no reason and get weird. Teach someone to Dougie, Twerk, do the Cat Daddy, all on that random corner on the porch. When the bottle is done, so is the party. Crash on the couch or let your ridiculously patient DD drive you home. Chug a Gatorade or some ridiculously overpriced Coconut Water before you hit the hay and wake up well-rested and ready for brunch. Because, as we all know, brunch is basically just a sit down BBQ with eggs.
Brunch allows you to restart your engines with a dust-cutter or, our favorite, a Bloody Mary. The most blessed among cocktails.
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Make your mark in the land of BBQ and enjoy the season. If you decide to throw a BBQ Party The Snake Bite Way, make sure to let us know by mentioning our instagram @SnakeBiteCoUSA and using the hashtag #TheSnakeBiteWay. Feel free to invite us to your gathering... because, you just never know. We’ve traveled for less.
The majority of us are not strangers to canned beer; the convenience of which is so commonplace that many of us take it for granted. The travel friendly aspect of cans have allowed the human race to bring beer almost anywhere our hearts desire (within legal and socially acceptable boundaries that we all begrudgingly abide by).
Now, what you may have failed to appreciate during all your time of consumption is that the light-tight nature of a can protects the beer within from flavor degradation. For those of us who have choked on the first chug of a turnt-skunky bottle of beer, we know this to be a serious issue.
Until recently, only large players in the world of beer could afford to can their brews. The onsite infrastructure needed to can beer is expansive AND expensive, and for smaller breweries - unattainable. Recent innovation in the canning industry, like mobile canning and can line-sharing, has allowed more and more craft breweries to bring canned beers to market. Which in turn has allowed us to break free from the beeropoly selection, even in your neighborhood gas station. Plus, you can't spell 'American' with out 'Can.' So there's that.
We here at Snake Bite are especially pleased with the recent move by Boulevard Brewing Company to offer four of their signature brews in cans.
Their new canned 6-packs include current favorites: Unfiltered Wheat, Pop-Up IPA, Ginger Lemon Radler, and a new addition, Heavy Lifting IPA, which will be available year-round in cans and on draft. Heavy Lifting has a 6.2% ABV and features massive late and dry-hopping with Centennial, Amarillo, Topaz and Citrus hops. Which if you aren't sure what that all means...it equates to a pretty tasty beer.
Also - and this is very important - we've partnered with Boulevard to offer custom Snake Bite's for you die hard fans. These custom Snake Bites are only available in Kansas City at the Boulevard Tasting room and if you're heading to Boulevardia in KC next weekend (you should go there) make sure to grab a can and a custom Boulevard Snake Bite and vent responsibly...maybe we'll see you there!
Oh, and lastly, expect to get an invite from Snake Bite to sign a petition to offer Tank 7 in cans as soon as is humanly possible... If you haven't tried it, you haven't lived.
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