Well, as usual, I'm getting impatient. Fall is entirely too far away; it's fresh, cool air and brightly colored leaves, which contrast with the oh-so-necessary crystal-clear blue sky, make it my favorite season. There should be a faint hint of woodsmoke in the air and a jacket over your arm. Curiously enough, what you'd like to... Continue Reading →
This one comes directly from Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, accompanied by the maxim, "Recipes are not sacred." Indeed. Everybody from David Embury on down has realized this fact at one point or another. Mix a drink to your taste. In fact, mix this drink to your taste, though it's already an excellent one: Millionaire (#4,... Continue Reading →
Huzzah! Huzzah! The soda siphon has arrived! Time for a round of Fizzes and Collinses! First up, one of two quintessential New Orleans cocktails, the Ramos Gin Fizz, also known as the New Orleans Fizz, depending on whom you ask. According to David Wondrich, New Orleans was experiencing an enormous boost in tourism in the... Continue Reading →
Every now and then you come across a drink that is, well, interesting, but maybe isn't quite there, doesn't quite add up to what you expected, or doesn't match your taste. This one is a candidate for all three: The Interesting Cocktail 2 ounces Silver Tequila (Regan recommends Partida, Milagro, Don Julio, or El Tesoro)... Continue Reading →
A truly exquisite little drink, the Tip Top is one of those well-hidden gems that deserves to be known better. Don't be afraid of the amount of vermouth in this one: Tip Top 2 ounces Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat Original Dry) 1/4 ounce Bénédictine 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Stir with ice and strain into a... 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 →
Huzzah! The new issue of Imbibe is here! The cover story? "The Summer of Tiki." Also featured are articles about American soda fountains, cyclists guzzling beer, Spanish wines, and the drinking scene in Austin, Texas. Get yourself a copy, and check the link above for more Tiki-fied Tipples. In celebration, the first of tonight's drinks... Continue Reading →
My cocktail curiosity was first aroused, I think, back in the Spring of 2007; more exactly, my 21st birthday. "Of course!" you might be thinking, "He went out and got bombed on shots of Jägermeister, Jack Daniels and cheap beer!" Well, no binge-drinking, beer-pong party pour moi. Instead, I headed past Tech Square and over to... Continue Reading →
Tempered Spirits 