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Edited to Add: Julibox is no longer in business.
I enjoyed last month’s Julibox so much that I decided to go for another month. In case you don’t know, Julibox is your passport to cocktail discovery. Each month, you will discover two great cocktails, curated by world class mixologists and designed especially for easy home preparation.” They send enough to make four cocktails total (two of each) and you’ll probably end up having “leftovers”.
Like last month, the mixers and the booze shipped separate. Someone had commented that they usually ship it all together, but I guess not when I subscribe? The mixers arrived via USPS and came while we were done. The booze ships via UPS and they tried to deliver it on Friday, but of course, we weren’t there, so we had to wait until Monday. And you MUST be home to sign for your box. They can’t leave it with a neighbor. You can’t sign in advance. You must be there. If you can’t, get the box shipped somewhere where someone is home!
Unlike last month, there were no leaking mixers, smelly boxes or any of that. Everything arrived safe and sound and in perfect condition. And aren’t their boxes adorable? I love them!
The May Julibox is a celebration of the first cocktail party, which was held on May 25, 1917. Julibox is raising their glasses high, filled with libations in honor of this momentous occasion this month. Cheers! The box includes the necessities for two classic cocktails, the Clover Club (which was served at the first ever cocktail party) and the always classic, Gin & Tonic.
Clover Club:
The Clover Club is a classic and timeless cocktail that everyone should experience. And umm, I’ve never heard of it. It’s a “frothy and dazzling blend of gin, lemon and raspberry syrup” and was created in the 1800’s.
~Bols Genever ($4): I have never heard of Bols Genever before. It’s an old cousin of the gin family (according to Julibox).
~Royal Rose Raspberry Syrup ($2): This syrup has me believing that this is the cocktail for me this month! While B just likes booze in a glass or sticks to more manly drinks, I like mine fruit and fun. This looks perfect!
~Dried Egg Whites: The Clover Club recipe calls for egg whites to give it it’s rich velvety texture. You can use fresh or dried (Julibox recommends fresh) in the recipe, but it would have been a bit difficult to send fresh ones in the mail. I bet B ends up using fresh though. He likes to do things right!
Gin & Tonic:
It’s hard to find a drink more classic than the Gin & Tonic! This was first served in the 19th Century in India, where tonic water was often used to prevent and treat malaria. I know B is looking forward to giving this drink a go. He loves gin & tonic!
~G’Vine Floraison ($4.66): G’Vine is a french made gin and has a “subtle aromatic vine flower, that together with the grape spirit, softens the traditional juniper taste inherent in most gins.
~Tomrs Tonic Syrup ($10.95): Toms Tonic Syrup is a fragrant and rich syrup that will turn you from a G&T dabbler to a G&T raving enthusiast. That’s what Julibox says anyway. I don’t really like gin & tonic, but I will give this a try.
~Perrier Natural Sparking Water ($1): The final ingredient to the gin & tonic is Perrier. Well, and a lime wheel. I waitressed at a very fancy country club during summers in college and Perrier was a staple. Alone or in drinks. Other staples included Kona Coffee ice cream and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Oh man, the KJ used to flow like water. Good times! If you were a member ;).
All totaled I came up with an estimated (I think my calculations were right, but it was late) value of $22.61 for the May Julibox. Should I be mad that this box cost $40 (I do the month to month subscription)? Because I’m not (*). I know we (more B than me) would never try any of these spirits without Julibox and that’s what it’s all about. Plus, I do have a thing for mini bottles of alcohol.
Do you subscribe to Julibox? What do you think of the box? Is it something you’d be interested in? It’s $40/month (or $36/month if you opt for an annual subscription), which works out to $10/drink – about what you’d pay at some fancy pants bar. If you are interested in subscribing or just want to learn more, click here.
(*) And yes, I pay for this myself.
Tonic syrup, that’s brilliant. My tonic water always goes unfizzy but I go through seltzer like crazy.
I love love love cocktails but I’m not sure this is a great deal since I have a lovely cocktail bar up the street…it would solve my problem of having zillions of almost-full bottles of random spirits.
I’m in Louisville, ky and an old pro at derby. I literally laughed out loud at your review of this box last month because its well known around here that mint juleps are pretty gross and only start tasting drinkable after the first few are finished! I would not have been happy with a $40 box that half of it was to make a couple of juleps. The other traditional derby drink, btw, is a Lily, and is fruity and fabulous!
This box looks much better to me taste wise but the bargain seeker in me has a hard time getting past the value vs the price. I guess if you think about it, though, a fancy night out around here would definitely include drinks that would run close to $10 each once tip is included, so it’s not bad if you think of it in that light, as a special occasion thing. Idk… Still not convinced! 😉
http://www.foxtalesponytails.blogspot.com
God I wished they shipped to Canada! It’s a bit on the expensive side, but worth a try at least once. This month wasn’t the best value though.
Enjoy!!
I think I am going to have to get this for my husband… I’m just concerned about being home to sign for it. I can’t always be home on the same day during the week. I work 3 week days usually and it changes every week… I don’t know how to work this out! Lol. The problems of life!
Thank you so much for this great and honest review! We are pleased you found this month’s cocktails a delight. And of course we apologize for last month’s syrup fiasco. We try our best to feature new and upcoming brands in the spirit of discovery but sometimes their manufacturing processes are not quite ready for prime time.
We are happy to find you enjoyed this month’s collection of new comers!
We are very much focused on providing value so we just wanted to let your readership know that the value if this month’s collection is actually about $32.85 in product alone. G’vine retails around $4-6 each; Bols $6-7 for the 50ml sizes ( and we included two so you can make two cocktails each). We like to think there is additional value in bringing mixers like Royal Rose which doesn’t sell a 2oz bottle for you to experiment with. Again we appreciate your flattering review and hope that you continue your cocktail journey with us and that your friendly readers join in all the fun!
Cheers!
I received my first Julibox this month as part of a gift subscription and absolutely love it! I must admit that I’d never been a fan of Gin & Tonic either, but the recipe in the box was delicious! Did you try it? What’d you think??
The quality of the alcohol is quite worth it, I’d say. In a nice bar/club here in San Diego, a cocktail with specialty alcohol could run upwards of $12-16 each, and of course I would never buy a bottle of G’vine or Bols without tasting it prior to. The Julibox is definitely one of my favorite subscription boxes. I suppose I’m lucky that there’s a UPS distribution center no more than a couple miles away, so picking up my package isn’t much of a hassle. Can’t wait until next month!
I love that this box uses pine shavings that go in my garden. A great idea! We have loved these boxes, too!
I thought it looked like wood, so I wrote them and asked; and they replied “natural apsen wood shred” – I know, isn’t that just the best idea? Free mulch to boot! That’s worth something!