Mixology Monday has rolled around once again! This time, Monsieur Dagreb of Nihil Utopia is hosting the party, and he's asked us to mix up a round of drinks featuring high-proof spirits -- anything over 50% ABV as defined in his announcement post. [Mar 27: To see what all of us came up with, check... 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 →
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 →
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 →
Happy Repeal Day, folks! That's right, 78 years ago Prohibition officially ended, and booze flowed freely again in the U.S. Of course, it hadn't particularly stopped flowing during America's "Noble Experiment," and in some cases consumption actually increased, but hey, it was back to being legal. Well -- and here's one more caveat -- it was legal... Continue Reading →
There is a certain period of time that's referred to as the "Dark Ages" of mixology...somewhere between the 1950s and the 1990s. Yes, certain pockets of resistance still existed during these decades, especially in the better bars and Tiki restaurants, but mixed drinks as a whole seemed to suffer, especially during the 70s and 80s... Continue Reading →
Almost time for the second meeting of the Heron Social Club! This time our crew of cocktailians will be focusing on drinks made with bourbon and rye whiskey. Neighbor Dave G. and I spent an evening testing out a few drinks, narrowing down the choices to the following (in the order that they'll be mixed):... 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 →
Ah yes, Campari. That bitter liqueur we Americans just can't seem to love...but that's OK. Even if we can't bring ourselves to drink Campari on the rocks (try giving it to your friends without telling them what it is -- quite entertaining, but they may never trust you again), we can mix it to great... Continue Reading →
While pondering what to mix, and seriously considering a Lucien Gaudin, I heard my Dad call down from upstairs (the liquor supply occupying a wall in the basement), "Hey! Are you mixing a cocktail?" "Uh, yeah? Would you like one?" "Yeah! Something with bourbon in it! I'm not a gin guy." Well, that settled it... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 