You know, most of the time a cocktail gets its name after it's been mixed and tasted -- hopefully nobody else has come up with the same thing and named it already. But what if you already have the name and you know that it would be perfect for a drink? This was the dilemma... Continue Reading →
Yes, the time has finally come to make some homemade spirituous infusions! I've been lagging behind in this area quite a bit, though I have a number of recipes and experiments I'd like to try (Amer Boudreau, anybody?). First up in the infusion category, however, will be spiced rum. Why, you may ask? Well, the fifth meeting... Continue Reading →
Not too long ago, Jason Wilson wrote an article about a curious liqueur named ROOT (I'd prefer that it was simply "Root," but Art in the Age seems rather fond of the all-caps title). I was very intrigued, but not by the fact that he described as an American amaro based on the predecessor of... 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 →
Mixology Monday! After missing the second post in August (thanks, Las Vegas, but I forgive you because of the Vesper), I'm back and ready to mix! As usual, take a look at the MxMo site if you're not familiar with the monthly gathering. The host this time ’round is Lindsay over at Alcohol Alchemy. The theme? "Local Color,"... Continue Reading →
We're getting closer and closer to Fall, and apple brandy is quickly working its way into my drink rotation. Autumn and apples get along splendidly, probably because it's the harvest season, and the marriage of the two (as an idea) has worked its way into the American psyche over three centuries. Today's drink, however, is... Continue Reading →
This just in! George and Ira Gershwin strike again! Putting pen to paper and fingers to the ivory, the dynamic songwriting duo has released a new musical num-bah, and, Jiminy Cricket, what a tune! Bend your ear to this nearest phonograph and take a listen! "You like potato and I like potahto You like tomato... 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 →
Somehow, cocktails that are simple, elegant, and timeless get overlooked. More often than not, these drinks involve simple mixological maneuvers that, once performed, seem obvious under the scrutiny of 20-20 hindsight, but had simply never been done before, and never recorded. Somewhere, sometime, somebody must have thought, "You know what? I'm going to add some... Continue Reading →
A while ago I ordered a copy of Left Coast Libations, a cocktail tome I had seen mentioned once or twice in the Blogosphere and had paged through while sitting at the bar at Merchant. While I still recommend it to anyone interested in craft cocktails (you gotta love Ted Munat's devil-may-care sense of humor, the meticulously researched recipes,... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 