Ti Punch – The Beach in a Glass

Ti Punch – The Beach in a Glass

Posted by: on Jun 8, 2011 | No Comments

The Tiki Cocktail revival has been well under way for a few years now, and rum is pretty clearly marked as the up and coming spirit trend.  My only problems is I just don’t like my drinks very sweet, and some of these can get really sweet.  The spirit itself is already made from sugar for crying out loud.  Finally though I found a perfectly simple rum concoction with a enough bite to keep me wanting more – the Ti Punch.

The Best Aftershave You’ve Never Heard Of

The Best Aftershave You’ve Never Heard Of

Posted by: on Jun 6, 2011 | 3 Comments


Anyone who’s ever spent time in a drug store or barbershop knows we’re not starved for choices when it comes to grooming products.  There are the seemingly endless shelves of shampoos for this or that type of hair and a plethora of shaving gels, soaps, cremes, and foams that try to tell us we can’t possibly be handsome without them.

Not-So-Haute Horlogerie

Not-So-Haute Horlogerie

Posted by: on Jun 3, 2011 | No Comments

While digging through piles of books and magazines on antiques at Lyrical Ballad the other day I stumbled upon a lone volume from the Encyclopédie that just so happened to be the volume on Horlogerie.

Welcome to the new Simply Refined

Welcome to the new Simply Refined

Posted by: on Jun 1, 2011 | One Comment

Welcome everyone to the new Simply Refined.  It’s been a while in the making, but we needed a new site.  We’ve been outgrowing the original site for quite some time now, and to give you the best experience it was time for some change.  We are approaching two hundred articles, and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped Simply Refined grow and flourish since it began in March 2010.

Of Ballads and Bookstores

Of Ballads and Bookstores

Posted by: on May 27, 2011 | One Comment

If you’re anything like me, you revel in old bookshops.  Although in an unlikely location, Saratoga Springs’ Lyrical Ballad Bookstore is one of the finest bookshops I have ever had the privilege of entering.  Barring those containing mostly first editions and autographed manuscripts which would strip me of more coin than a vintage Bugatti, it might be the finest.