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 →
How are new cocktails created? Well, one fairly simple way is to take an existing drink and swap some or all of the ingredients for new ones. It's best to exchange one ingredient for another of the same "type," however -- you can swap one base spirit for another, one liqueur for another, one citrus... 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 →
January's Mixology Monday is focused upon a trend that is steadily gaining steam in bars across the country: the use of port, sherry, and Madeira wines in cocktails. Sure, you can reach for the old standbys like vermouth and quinquina if you want to add some sweetness and complexity, but bitter aftertastes and quinine aren't for everyone.... Continue Reading →
Way, way back in 1916, a little-known Bavarian-born bartender named Hugo Ensslin self-published a wholly unremarkable little book. Covered with stiffened, nondescript brown paper and given an unassuming title -- Recipes for Mixed Drinks -- the book contained the recipes for over 400 libations that were being mixed at bars across the City of New York. Many... Continue Reading →
If you didn't know already, St. Germain, the makers of the impeccable elderflower liqueur, are holding a cocktail contest, their 5th Annual Can-Can Classic. The challenge? Create an original drink using at least one ounce of St. Germain that exhibits Originality and Taste, to be judged by Representatives of St. Germain...and Martha Stewart's editorial staff (Hey,... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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