A few months ago, I traveled to Paris. Little did I know that the cocktail scene was booming over there: it has the all the skill and dedication to the craft that you'd find in New York or London, but a sense of community and collaboration that is more reminiscent of Southern culinary capitals like... Continue Reading →
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 →
--- Images & text by IJL. Entry typed on a Remington Deluxe Model 5 Typerwriter with Touch Control
Well, my mixology-minded friends...I'm finally back, and it's been too long (how many blog posts have started out that way, I wonder?). Anyway, as I sit here waiting for Winter Storm Juno to kick into gear, I have a little dose of sunshine -- in cocktail form -- to keep me company. You see, Andrea,... 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 →
I love apéritif wines. Byrrh, Lillet, Dubonnet, Cocchi, you name 'em, I'll drink 'em. These complex, Continental concoctions are wonderful on their own -- or with a wedge of citrus and some soda, a universal truth of drinking -- but sipping a tall, cold glass of quinine-tinged wine on a lazy afternoon sometimes feels just... 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 →
This past weekend, friend Jack and I made our way to downtown Decatur to seek out one of Atlanta's newest cocktail-centric bars, Paper Plane. The cozy, retro-infused spot is the latest project by local bar wizard Paul Calvert (of Pura Vida and Sound Table fame). As the AJC has said, it's not a speakeasy -- it... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 