A little while back, fellow cocktail and spirits enthusiast/blogger/writer Lincoln rounded up a few of like-minded types to review a number of spirits and write about them. Booze reviews? Bottles provided? Yes, please. This kind of thing doesn't usually fall within my milieu, so all of you cocktailians, sit tight: a separate recipe post will... Continue Reading →
Infinite variety -- that's one of the things I enjoy most about the world of spirits. Distillation -- and wine-making, and brewing -- is really an extension of agriculture: so much of the final product depends on the local fauna, the local climate, the seasons, the sources, and the hands and intuition of the distillers.... Continue Reading →
In the world of cocktails, a great deal of faith is placed in precedent and tradition. We look to the written works of bartenders from a century ago for inspiration, who were themselves inspired by the Punch-makers from a century before, who were, in turn, increasing the potability of spirits that had been in production... Continue Reading →
A couple of weeks ago I was perched on a bentwood bar stool at my favorite local watering hole, trading thoughts on cocktails with bartender David, when the phrase "Astoria Distilling Company" was casually dropped into the conversation. It took half a moment for the words to make their way around the cocktail I was... Continue Reading →
As some of you know, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was held here in New York a few weeks back. And I nearly missed it. Serves me right for not paying more attention to the cocktailian side of life. It had been a typically busy week in NYC. Somehow, I'd managed to squeeze in visits to... Continue Reading →
A while ago, I was opining about the state of locally-produced liquor in Georgia -- how it would be nice to see more of it, that the Atlanta bar scene would begin demanding it, etc., etc. Apparently we were on the verge of a microdistillery boom here in the Peach State...who knew? Georgia can now... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, simpler drinks are better. True, you can whip up some smoked air to mix with your cardamom- and saffron-infused gin (the gin itself being homemade...who needs commercial gin, right?) and pour it over all the passion fruit juice ice cubes and Cointreau caviar you want -- but that concoction sounds like something best left to the... Continue Reading →
The next meting of the Heron Social Club approaches! The theme? Bourbon and Rye. When you're looking at base spirits, whiskey is arguably right up there with gin, a well-established spirituous foundation on which rests a large family of cocktails. Choosing a whiskey can, however, become quite a dilemma, as each variety of this spirit... Continue Reading →
It was bound to happen: a neighborhood cocktail club is in the works and nearly set to debut (one week to go). I hate to keep such a thing exclusive and secret, mainly because I believe that good drinks are something that everybody should be able to experience, hence my slight lack of fondness for "speakeasies" like... Continue Reading →
Yes, it's time for Part Two of the Southwest Booze Roundup: Yeeeeeee-haawwwwww!! Sorry. This second offering comes from the High West Distillery, located in Park City, Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City. No, Matt, Jack, and I didn't manage to make it that far North. We spent our time in and around Bryce Canyon... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 