As you might well guess, the blog isn't the only repository for my cocktail knowledge and experiments. Since the summer of 2010, I've kept a cocktail journal, of sorts: it started as a collection of recipes scribbled haphazardly into a Moleskine notebook, but has since evolved into a chronological account of the boozy side of... Continue Reading →
As you may have noticed, dear reader, this blog has been idle since July of 2013. The reason for this, of course, is that I have relocated from the quiescent suburbs of Atlanta to bustling metropolis of New York City. As a result, my mixological endeavors have been placed on life's back burner for six... Continue Reading →
Time, once again, for Mixology Monday! It seems that us cocktail bloggers have been bitten by the fresh produce bug -- after vegetables and herbs, we've naturally moved on to fruit. Andrea, at Gin Hound, is acting as this month's host, and she has a particular fruit in mind: cherries. As Andrea mentions in her... Continue Reading →
Once again, it's time for Mixology Monday! Mr. Mark Holmes, of Cardiff Cocktails, is hosting, and he's looking for a batch of herbal cocktails. Roots, spices, and beans can be used as ingredients as well... [Update: Check out Mark's Roundup for MxMo LXXIII] As far back as we can look, the use of fresh herbs... Continue Reading →
Spring has arrived in Georgia, bringing with it the usual crop of weather conditions: wild fluctuations in temperature -- both morning-to-night and day-to-day -- tornadoes, rain, and exclamations from coastal Georgians and Floridians that run along the lines of, "Snow? In March? What!? Help me!!" (This is the Piedmont -- it happens every year. It... Continue Reading →
A little while ago, I picked up a copy of Food & Wine: Cocktails 2012 (at a local Kroger, of all places): contained within it was a drink called "Tea At Three," which infused gin with black tea and then combined it with sherry, lavender, and an assortment of berries (see p.148, if you have a copy). Reading... Continue Reading →
To celebrate the Autumnal Equinox and herald the arrival of cooler weather, we held a Harvest Party at the Lauer household (incidentally, a well-timed cold front dropped the temperature by ten degrees in Georgia on the night of the 22nd). Accompanying the pulled pork, German potato salad, mac n' cheese, and quick pickles -- all of... Continue Reading →
A couple of weeks ago, the Lauer household was inundated with tomatoes. The gardens were cranking 'em out in July, and we could only consume so many of them. Our stomachs replete with red fruit, we offered them up to neighbors and co-workers, and with their stomachs replete, we had to move on to long-term storage solutions...along... Continue Reading →
Drinking in season? Not today we're not. It's a hot year down here in Georgia: 90 degrees in May...who'd-a-thunk-it? So I'm rebelling against Mother Nature and mixing up two drinks best served (in my mind) during Fall or Winter. Both make use of aquavit, and I'm excited to share them because drinks that feature the... Continue Reading →
The quintessential New Orleans cocktail is, without a doubt, the Sazerac. In fact, it's the city's Official Cocktail. It was also the subject of our seventh cocktail night, being the host's favorite drink. We mixed up two versions of it -- one with rye, one with cognac -- while offering a taste of absinthe to anyone... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 