Time for another Mixology Monday! Now that we've braced ourselves against winter and slogged through February, it's time to set our sights on Spring...premature? Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but Joel at Southern Ash has asked us to mix up drinks that inspire thoughts of warmer weather. Look no further than the Lavanda... --- Photos... Continue Reading →
MxMo LXXXVI: Pineapple
Mixology Monday has rolled around once again! We've just passed the solstice, so summer is officially here. The heat has been building for quite some time, however, and it's due to last for at least two more months. No doubt these factors led Thiago, of Bartending Notes, to select Pineapple for our monthly mixing theme.... Continue Reading →
MxMo LXXIV: Cherries & Cheerwine Cocktails
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 →
Spring on the Southside
When I think Spring, I think gin cocktails. Gin sours, to be exact, though I never seem to drink a plain ol' gin sour -- it's always a variation, like the Aviation, the Fitzgerald, or the Tom Collins...or that praise-worthy classic, the Southside. Southside Cocktail 2 ounces Gin [Plymouth] 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice 1/2 ounce... Continue Reading →
MxMo LXVI: Bein’ (Jacques-in-the-) Green
Yes, it is officially Autumn, and though the leaves are turning and there's a slight chill in the air, things are still pretty green down here in Georgia. There's the 70-something temperatures, the fresh basil, the continuing crop of peppers and eggplants, the sound of lawn mowers beating the grass into submission -- life is... Continue Reading →
The Mai Tai
If you were to ask me what my favorite cocktail is, I'd be hard-pressed to answer your question. If, however, you were a bit more specific and asked me what my favorite Tiki drink is, then the answer would be clear: the Mai Tai. To me, no other faux-tropical tipple encapsulates the entire genre in... Continue Reading →
Happy Birthday, Blog!
Tempered Spirits is officially one year old! Huzzah! Cue the music! The site has come a long way since the first post, which covered the Martini, and to celebrate the fact that the blog has survived a trip around the sun -- I've never been one for keeping journals, logs, or web sites -- I... Continue Reading →
Cocktail Night IX: Veintiséis de Mayo!
We're back to that time of the month once again: Neighborhood Cocktail Night! It being May, we were going to have a Cinco de Mayo night, but the date kind of crept up on us, and it was moved to the 26th. No matter, the theme was retained, and we have a couple of Mexico-inspired cocktails to sip... Continue Reading →
Drinking New Orleans, Part 5: The Hurricane
Ah yes, the Hurricane. Like many faux-tropical drinks, it has a messy history, though it's not quite as convoluted or controversial as those of the Mai Tai and the Zombie. For one thing, we know the time and location of its origin -- Pat O'Brien's Bar in the French Quarter, circa late 1940s (though I have found... Continue Reading →
MxMo LXIV: Tiki, and ZOMBIFICATION
After a two-month hiatus, it's finally time for another Mixology Monday! Locked in the dead cold of winter (well, it's in the 60s here in Georgia), our venerable host, Doug, of the Pegu Tiki Blog has decided on a Tiki theme, bringing us a burst of faux-tropical sunshine to lift our spirits. He's invited us to... Continue Reading →

