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Drink of the Week
Super Bowl party food is the best! Game time is the perfect time for those snacks you’ve been craving for months. No matter who you’re rooting for, here are a few of our favorite Super Bowl food recipes: Buffalo Wings Creamy Artichoke Dip Slow Cooker Super Bowl Chili Sliders with Chipotle Mayo Mexican...
This came about in the mixoloseum last night. Thee guys & gals get together every Thursday night to virtually mix cocktails and chat. The theme was “break out the bubbles”, so with Valentine’s Day just around the corner I whipped up this cocktail using Tequila, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur,...
Easy Deviled Eggs - Cocktail Eats
Deviled eggs are a tasty cocktail party finger food that you cannot go wrong serving! They look fancy, but take less than 15 minutes to make. Here’s my favorite, super-simple recipe: Deviled Eggs 12 eggs 1/2 cup safflower mayonnaise 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Paprika (garnish) Put eggs...
Stone Cold Easter Island Ice Tray
I am a sucker for novelty ice trays … and therefore I am a sucker for FRED products. Love the Stone Cold ice tray! I’m ready to make cocktails with tiny Easter Island Moai in them. Stone Cold Ice Cube Tray @ Perpetual Kid...
This prohibition era cocktail was named after the 1922 film Blood and Sand, the story of a young boy who becomes a famous bull fighter staring Rudolph Valentino. It seems like an odd mixture, but it works. What you get is a well balanced drink with a hint of...
Mixology Monday - Green Tea Gimlet
The theme for this Mixology Monday (hosted by Cocktail Virgin Slut) is tea. Tea cocktails are one of my favorites, so I jumped at the chance to update a classic cocktail with tea. The Green Tea Gimlet is light and slightly sweet while still giving you what you came to a...
Liquor Snob
Seagram's 7 Dark Honey Arrives for Review
Last week, we posted about Seagram's 7 Dark Honey, positing it was Seagram's' attempt to hit the same "I don't like whiskey" market that Beam seems to be targeting with Red Stag.The folks at Seagram's were kind enough to send......
Bacardi True Originals: The Hummingbird
There's a new series of videos made by Bacardi, where a man is on a hunt for the greatest bartender on the planet. This particular bartender (side note: never call female bartenders "bartendress" - we have a friend who learned......
Get Your Joan Jett on With Blackheart Rum
Are we dating ourselves with a Joan Jett & the Blackhearts reference? Maybe. But we couldn't avoid it, because it was the first thing that popped into our heads when we read the press release from Heaven Hill announcing the......
Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: January 2010
Welcome to 2010, dear readers, and we have to say - we started this year like we've started many others. Souls crushed and barely able to get out of bed, bleary-eyed and headachey, we limped into 2010 like we did......
State of the Union '10 Drinking Game
Wow, we're way behind on posting this, and we're guessing a lot of you have already seen this (and their "this is a joke, don't binge drink" disclaimer) over at Huffington Post, but hey...better late than never. Kind of like......
Sounds great for getting a buzz on. Get it? Buzz? Honey? Bees? JOKES!!...
Paradiseontherocks
Small competition coming up. Holla if you’d like in. Only 8 people will be able to compete. $500 prize Seven_Tiki_Rum_Rules_Card Here’s some info on the rum from some PR folks. From the South Pacific comes SEVEN TIKI(R) Spiced Rum, a Fijian rum with spices and other natural flavors. This premium spiced rum is...
Ah, competition, you are the bane of my existence. Well, not really. I figured I should pass on some info to you bar folks out there. In March, there is a teeny, tiny gathering called the Nightclub & Bar Convention in Las Vegas. At this get together there is a...
Here’s a few words in case you had a hard time describing your drunken stupor. basted bladdered bleary-eyed blind blotto boiled boozed bunned canned cockeyed drunk drunk as a lord drunk as a skunk elevated feeling no pain flooey foxed frazzled fried full geezed ginned gone got a bun on half seas over half shot hammered high idioms illuminated in his cups inebriated intoxicated juiced knocked out laid out likkered up lit lit to the guards loaded lubricated lush mashed mellow mullered oiled on a bender on a jag organized orie-eyed ossified pickeled pie-eyed ‘pifflicated pissed plastered potted preserved primed rileyed rummed schicker (Jewish) seeing snakes sewed up shitfaced shot silly sloshed smashed snozzled soaked soapy-eyed soused spifflicated squiffed stewed stinko stuccoed tanked three sheets in the wind tight tipsy trollied tuned up to the...
Hey kiddos, there’s a party tomorrow. Maybe you should check it out. I’m not much for advertising events on here, but I dig Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and CDubbs. Go check it out from 8-10 at Manifest. Don’t go there expecting great cocktails, but a sailor splash coke shouldn’t be too...
Seattle is amazing, period. I was lucky enough to score some time off and decided to head to Seattle to check out some of the best bars on the west coast and maybe the whole US. Seriously, the bar was set high and they blew my mind. Service was impeccable at...
I love this cocktail. It’s simple, yet complex and strong, without being overbearing. The inspiration for this drink’s revival was Manny from Corzo and Casadores tequila. He shared his love for and insights on tequila with the Hawaii bar guild a few weeks back. Since then, I have sat at...
Jeffrey Morgenthaler
To get to the town of Cognac, France, you have to fly into the airport at Bordeaux, nearly two hours south. You spend a good hour on the freeway, which looks pretty much like any freeway in the world, until eventually you see an exit marked “Cognac”. You then...
If there’s one thing I hate about living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the stretch of time from late October until late June, when the sun makes only the most occasional of appearances. I typically pack on an extra 10-15 pounds during those rainy months, party due to over-consumption...
How to Make Your Own Grenadine
While this is a topic that has been covered by pretty much every cocktail blog under the sun, I haven’t yet written about it. Why? Well, for one, I’m lazy and never got around to it. But after having made various versions of grenadine for years at...
For many years before this whole cocktail thing really took off, I worked in dive bars. Really crappy dive bars where people would visit – often nightly – for what appeared to be the sole purpose of getting very, very drunk. These bars were loud, they were obnoxious, and...
Wow, I apparently thought it was still late-October or something, because it came as a complete surprise to me today that my favorite drinking holiday in the whole world is next weekend. I guess that between keeping my nose to the grindstone at work and traveling extensively lately, it...
Well, folks, it’s time of year again. I repost this recipe every year because I’m a man on a mission. You see, I love egg nog, but I can’t stand the thick, gelatinous goop they sell at the grocery store. Even if you were to cut it with...
Dowd on Drinks
Latham wine event to aid seniors’ home heating
The Century House restaurant and conference center will be the site of the 5th annual Warmth of Wine on Thursday, February 25. The event is a fundraiser for Colonie Senior Service Centers Inc. to help older persons with their home heating bills. Wine tastings, hors de’oeuvres and other cuisine plus silent and...
Something to toast Benedictine’s 500th
Unless the topic is coal or oil, it is not often one can write about a 500-year-old product. That’s one of the very special things about Benedictine, the herbal liqueur developed purportedly during the Renaissance by the Venetian monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli in the Abbey of Fécamp from 27 plants and...
Annual survey says spirits stay strong
Distilled spirits are doing fine, or maybe not. It depends on whether you look at volume or sales. That was the gist of the annual industry review by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). Peter Cressy, CEO of DISCUS, released supplier data at the annual briefing for media and...
Natural wines seminar set for NYC
The 6th annual Natural Wine Event is set for Saturday, March 6, at the Astor Center in New York City. In addition to tastings of more than 20 such wines, a series of short seminars will be held throughout the afternoon. The scheduled speakers are natural winemakers Tony Coturri of Sonoma, CA,...
Jack Daniel’s quality in the wood(s)
The folks at Jack Daniel’s pay a lot of attention to the quality of the wooden barrels in which their whiskies are aged. But, that wood comes from what has to continue to be a renewable resource. Thus, the distiller has entered into a tree-planting program in conjunction with American Forests’...
What will they think of next? (February edition)
[William M. Dowd photo] For this month’s collection of cocktail recipes, I’ve chosen to start with one of my own devising, then jump to the West Coast and up to Canada for the others. My contribution is the Upstate Manhattan, a twist on the traditional cocktail made with only Upstate New York...
Dr.Whisky
Hudson Single Malt WhiskeyTuthilltown Distillery46% abv$40 (USD)There is some real, old-fashioned, hand-crafted, family-run whiskey-making going on in the Hudson Valley. If it has taken you until now to realise it then, brother, there is no time to waste. While other American distilleries are working hard to replicate the hand-crafted, small...
Connemara 12yoIrish Single Malt Whiskey 40% abv£55$95 (USD)Another Irish drop, and an unusual one at that as it's only distilled twice (most Irish is triple-distilled). And in pot stills, no less, the way God intended..."The saviour of Irish whisky", the artist formerly known as John Teeling, purchased this County Louth-based...
Connemara Cask Strength Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey 57.9% abv £44 $65 (USD)$95 (CAD)Don't yet know if this will be a string of all Irish whiskies (couldn't have waited til mid-March, Doc?), but we will just take it one dram at a time.We tasted the 40% abv version of the...
Jameson Irish Whiskey 40% abv£17 $25 (USD) $30 (CAD)Married to a member of the Haig Scotch whisky dynasty, founder John Jameson moved from Scotland to Ireland and began making the water of life in 1780. Originally produced at one of the six Dublin distilleries, Jameson is now distilled way...
Old Pulteney 30yoHighland Single Malt Scotch Whisky44% abv£250Ending my string of "new" releases here on the malt mission with a drop from Old Pulteney. It would be more accurate to call these "recent releases" as by the time I have gotten around to publishing them every other enthusiastic whisy nerd...
The Balvenie 17yo Madeira CaskSpeyside Single Malt Whisky 43% abv£67 $130 (USD)Dr. Whisky's most recent post attracted a good share of attention. This attention took various forms and lead to variable responses from varied corners of this world wide wondernet. I won't be linking them or summarizing them from here,...
Drinks After Dark
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Limited Edition, Kahlua Coffee Cream
Oh my. This is definitely not the Kahlúa you might be used to. This is delightful, eye-rollingly yummy and goes down so very very smoothly. I love my coffee, and will drink it at almost any time during the day. Nothing suits aromatic, freshly brewed coffee like fresh cream. As a...
Nat Decants: Food & Wine Matcher
Natalie MacLean is one of Canada’s most respected wine writers. Her columns are insightful and interesting and she doesn’t get into the kinda of snobby wine critiques that some writers have been known for. Natalie has created a widget for wine aficionados, writers and foodies to include on their website, or...
Wine needs to breathe, it just opens up and tastes better, but if you’re anything like me, I wither don’t think far enough ahead to decant, or I just want wine when I open it. Thankfully, the Vinturi is my new best friend. I’ve got a Vinturi red wine aerator, and...
Show off your spirit of choice!
“What’ll it be?” - the question every bartender the world over asks when patrons saunter up to their bar. Show your drink preference with one of Buji Bijoux’s Gatsby Tag necklaces and never end up with the wrong drink again. “Gatsby Tags,” Buji Bijoux designer May Chen took a quick turn...
Woodford Reserve scoured the country for the single-most well-crafted Manhattan in the nation. Just recently, Woodford Reserve bourbon and Esquire magazine have crowned Jeromy Edwards from Louisville, Kentucky and his “Cider Manhattan” as the “Master of the Manhattan” for 2009. Seems only fitting that Jeromy is from Louisville - home to...
Alcademics.com
New Booze: Seagram's 7 Dark Honey
I received a bottle of Seagram's 7 Dark Honey for review, so here goes. The product is described not as a liqueur but as "blended whiskey with real honey and natural flavors." On the nose it's dark honey. On the... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
New Booze: Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur
Here's a review of Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur. The product has coca leaves from Bolivia, along with guarana and ginseng. From the press website: AGWA DE Bolivia is a 30% ABV 60 proof Herbal liqueur made with Coca Leaf and... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
I received a sample of Love Potion #9 to try. This is a liqueur (at least I think it's a liqueur; they've filed it in the "distilled spirit specialty" category, which is sort of like "none of the above") with... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
New Booze: Paul-Marie & Fils Devant La Porte Cognac
I received a sample of Paul-Marie & Fils Cognac, a brand independently bottled by Nicolas Palazzi. Palazzi is buying single casks of cognac and hand bottling them unfiltered and at full cask strength. He apparently has a few bottlings under... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
New Booze: Macchu Pisco, Pisco Gran Sierpe, La Diablada Pisco
I have three new-to-me piscos to try. Pisco is grape brandy from Peru and Chile, though most people respect the stuff from Peru more. It can be made from aromatic grapes like Italia, non-aromatic grapes like Quebranta, or a mix... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
Good Booze, Bad Booze: Wine, Now with a Less-Cancer Recipe
One day science says drinking will make you live forever. The next day science says it will kill you tomorrow. Good Booze, Bad Booze is an Alcademics category where I put all these stories together. 1/29/09: Switching to lower-alcohol wine... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original...
Daily beverage news and comment - from just-drinks.com
US: Scheid Vineyards cuts losses, seals bank deal
Scheid Vineyards cut net losses in the first nine months of 2009 and is on a firmer financial footing after securing renewed support from its banks....
UK: Alcohol product placement set for scrapheap
Plans to allow alcoholic drinks firms to pay to have their products visible in television programmes look set to be scrapped....
just the round-up - The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:...
In the spotlight - Pepsi Bottling Group
The largest bottler of PepsiCo beverages, Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG), this week released its full-year results, likely the last for the firm as an independent company. Michelle Russell examines the market reaction....
US: PepsiCo's Gatorade unveils new sports line
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo, has unveiled a new line of sports performance drinks as part of the brand's image makeover....
Product Launch - US: Konteki's Tears of Dawn Daiginjo, Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo
Konteki's Tears of Dawn Daiginjo and Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo...
Scotch Chix
A couple of years ago, the CA Scotch Couple were pleased to make the acquaintance of the lovely and intelligent Japanese Peat Chick. They first met this remarkable individual when she was casting around for a school at which to spend her year long sabbatical. Since her work is in...
Nikka Taketsuru 12 Year Pure Malt
Nikka Taketsuru 12 Year Pure MaltThis award winning vatted malt is difficult if not impossible to find in the United States. It is a sweet single malt reminiscent of Highland Park 12 with just a bit more raisin, apricot, and cherry on the palate. Single Malt Whisky: Nikka Taketsuru...
Nikka Single Cask 20This Nikka Single Cask 20 is super smooth with a buttery, creamy palate and just a hint of apple. The only thing CA Scotch Chick would change is the finish. There is just a bit too much of a bite to it.Single Malt Whisky: Nikka Single...
Nikka Single Cask 25This smoky single cask is round and luscious in the mouth. Sweet smoke predominates, appearing in the nose, on the palate and in the finish.Single Malt Whisky: Nikka Single Cask 25 Region: Hokkaido, JapanColorGoldNoseSmoke, sherry, sweetnessBodyRound, lusciousPalateSweet smoke, cherriesFinishShort smoky finish with just a hint of...
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 12 Woody and Vannilic
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 12 Woody and VanillicIf the Nikka 12 Pure Malt is reminiscent of Highland Park, Nikka's Single Malt Yoichi 12 WV is Highland Park on steroids. This whisky is packed with vanilla and buttery flavors. Single Malt Whisky: Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 12 Woody and Vanillic...
Nikka Single Malt Whisky Yoichi Sherry and Sweet
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi Sherry and SweetThere is a bit more sherry in this whisky than CA Scotch Chick cares for. Despite this, it is a complex whisky with a hint of smoke and a spicy finish.Single Malt Whisky: Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Sherry and Sweet Region: Hokkaido, JapanColorRedNoseSmokeBodyMediumPalateSherry with...
SpiritsAndCocktails.com
Combier, Haiti and the Blood and Sand
I have had in my possession for some time a bottling of Royal Combier Grande Liqueur, and while I had wanted to mention it, I wasn’t sure how to present it, as I’ve already discussed Combier’s other bottling and had compared it favorably to Cointreau in its use in cocktails....
Bitter Truth to hit U.S. shores
Big news for all you cocktail nuts out there: Bitter Truth bitters will become more readily available in the U.S. While one can always order them online from Cocktail Kingdom, it appears that one will soon be able to walk into their nearest speciality store and get Bitter Truth bitters...
The folks at magnificentbastard.com have embarked on a quest to invent a new cocktail called the Magnificent Bastard and are asking mixologists and drink enthusiasts for worthy recipes. In exchange, the winning entrant will receive all the glory for inventing a new cocktail plus a $500 shopping spree at kegworks.com. All the info and entry form is...
To continue with the holiday shopping theme of late, here are a couple of suggestions for the cocktailian in your life that has everything. First off, why not get them a bottle of tequila that they’re sure not to open: one of 1800’s beautiful artist designed bottles? I wrote about this...
Recently I’d received a bottle of Xanté from a PR firm, and while it wasn’t in quite the seductive packaging that my fellow writer Jeffrey received his in, I found it worthy of mentioning, which brings me to the keyboard this evening. A luscious copper hue, I opened the bottle expecting...
It’s getting to be that time of year again, so I thought that I’d give you some ideas for Xmas presents for that Scotch drinker in your life. Without further ado: Talisker 25-Year-Old (SRP $199.99) This highly praised, award-winning single malt is matured in American and European Oak refill casks and...
Chowhound's Latest » Spirits
I'm not an expert, this is just my 2 cents: my mother had severe food allergies and was able to overcome them to a large extent by eating the things she was sensitive to only once every 4 days, and then she built up an immunity. Princeton University...
St Germain's Elderflower Liquor: how to prolong life?
Fridge will definitely help. Or you could just buy smaller bottles. Or both....
So, using the Pat O'Briens recipe---is it ok to substitue gold rum for dark rum, or does this throw the drink off?...
The Hoskins riff was my idea because I prefer tequila to gin. I don't have amer so I always use rammazotti and cointreau to sub for it. I don't even know what amer tastes like but based on boudreaus recipe this seems like an easy sub. It...
Here's what in my liquor cabinet now what cocktails can I make?
I just remembered it's a pity you don't have any gin, because then you would have the makings for a Twentieth Century Cocktail: 1.5 oz gin 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc 3/4 oz light crème de cacao 3/4 oz lemon juice Shake well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist. I suppose...
The big Kappy's in Medford has an entire shelf full of different Portuguese brandies, most of which are suspiciously cheap ($12-15 for an aged one in a funky bottle). I've been eying them but haven't yet taken the plunge. Have you tried any of them?...
bevlog | beer, wine, spirits trends | beverage blog
This approval shows a tremendous amount of change in eight short years. First of all, it is hard to imagine that the Bureau would ever allow the term “vodka” on a beer label. Somehow I don’t think that would fly in this day and age. Further, the qualification seems to...
It’s a good thing TTB never got far with the proposal to ban non-traditional containers. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have beer in boxes, spirits in a skull, nor the wine in steel kegs above. From the looks of this approval, Jordan Kivelstadt plans to pack high-end wines in 20 liter refillable kegs....
Calvin knows a thing or two about the booze business. Not to mention all manner of other intoxicants. (I need to warm up to calling him by his assumed name.) Sixteen years ago Cordazar Calvin Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) released a little song called “Gin & Juice.” It set off a...
Here it is, in all its glory, at long last. TTB’s “areola” policy. From time to time, depending on the circumstances, TTB will say these particular body parts are “obscene” or “indecent” and must be covered. Here is a recent example of such a rejection. It says “Please cover the areolas...
On many labels, it can be difficult to draw the line. For example, it is tough to say whether this PimpnHo label (also by Weibel) goes too far. But then again, it is fairly clear that Champortini went quite a bit too far. It suggests Champagne but does not qualify to be...
We were perusing some lists of shockingly exotic alcohol beverages. Nestled among the Baby Mouse Wine and the Mare’s Milk Wine, we found, at long last, the beer made with human saliva. It is otherwise known as chicha and it goes back thousands of years, to roots in the Andes...
The Whisky Grotto
Today I posted a blog-post on Ronnestam.com about my experimental book project – Top 10 Blog Posts on Future Branding and Communication From Ronnestam.com. It doesn’t really have that much to do with Whisky specifically. But if you’re into marketing and advertising it will sure inspire you to reach further...
Ballantine’s Rocks The Bar With A New Equalizer
Very smart packaging idea by Ballantine’s. Listen to this post...
Johnnie Walker let John out of the closet
This little beauty is the latest crème de la crème from Johnnie Walker and it’s called…John Walker. You may not have known before but Johnnie’s real name is actually John. The John Walker represents the top notch of the Blue Label bottlings. The John Walker is created from a small number...
BenRiach pulls a strike at the International wine and spirits competition
Sales director Alistair Walker pulls of a big smile as the BenRiach Distillery Company is celebrating their win of ten top awards in the prestigious 2009 International Wine and Spirits Competition this week. In results published today this Thursday, the company entered 10 whiskies from both its BenRiach and GlenDronach brands,...
This is the first ever guest post here at Whiskygrotto.com. Sarah wrote me a while ago and asked if she could contribute with a guestpost. Of course! I said as long as it’s about Scotch Whisky or Whiskey. Here it is: The history of this whiskey-based cocktail is so extensive that...
The Macallan Twitter away like birds
I am glad to report that The Macallan has taken a step into the future of communication with their latest scotch whisky tasting. One of my favorite idea and design blogs – The NotCot reports on The Macallan’s latest whisky tasting and how they used Twitter to get the mouth...
The Cocktail Chronicles
On my list of things I ignored blogging about in 2009 was this: Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. That’s too bad; this is a great series of events for Seattle-area cocktail people, and the session I attended in November – with Alex Day and Toby Cecchini – was not only wonderfully...
After a rousing start to 2010 with the January Mixology Monday, we’re ready to plunge onward with events for February and March. * MxMo XLVI takes place Monday, February 22. Hosting this round is Sonja at Thinking of Drinking, and Sonja has chosen Absinthe as the theme. Here’s her announcement post,...
Things I didn’t blog about in 2009
You know, ignoring a blog is a lot of work, especially if it’s a blog you’ve been running for almost five years. First there are the regular posting habits to break, then the Google Analytics reports to not look at, then the comments to ignore. Comments, such as this one...
MxMo XLV: There should be a scone in here somewhere…
I’m on pretty good terms with most drinks in the canon of classical mixology. Things that used to freak me out, like the in-your-face herbaceousness of Chartreuse or the sharp bitter bite of Campari, have long since become things I crave, and even weird and funky stuff like Batavia arrack...
Some of us — myself included — are still observing Detoxuary, the annual period following the holidays during which you abstain from booze & rich food , but those of you not spending the whole month of January on the wagon — myself included again here — should mark your...
Almost but not quite missing Mixology Monday: Money Drinks
It’s late, I’ve had a busy day, and by all sane reckonings I should be relaxing on the couch with a cocktail before turning in for a good night’s sleep. But no, it’s Mixology Monday, with the theme Money Drinks, hosted by Kevin Langmack at Beers in the Shower. I’m...
The Pour
Century-old Scotch is found in Antarctica....
Who needs $495 bargains?...
Why are good values in American wines so hard to find?...
Another Push for Wine Sales in Groceries
Advocates of the legalization of wine sales in New York groceries try again....
How small brandy distillers work to survive....
The wines I've drunk in the past week offered an embarrassment of riches to help take the sting out of the Jets loss....
Standards & Pours
Whiskey night Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!
I got an invite from Skyy Spirits to come on down to The Back Room and meet some distillers for whiskey brands in their portfolio. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be going to an event on a Sunday when I knew I had to be in work early...
Angostura bitters rationing, scary headlines, cocktail trends and you
I almost wrote on Facebook "Oh nos!!!!!1 They're takin' our Angostura bitters away, hide the women and children!!!1" in response to a friend linking me to a Gothamist post basically similar to an earlier Eater post on the Angostura bitters shortage that was posted the day before. However, I've realized...
Manhattan Cocktail Classic Preview is looming on the horizon
As most of you probably know by now, New York finally has its own cocktail extravaganza.Tickets for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic preview (Oct. 3-4) went on sale on Labor Day. According to Manhattan Cocktail Classic founder and director Lesley Townsend, tickets for Sasha Petraske's seminar on the home bar sold...
Gin and musing about cocktails and drinks in general
After Tales, I needed a break from the blog. A month-long one sounded about right. I guess most people announce they're going away for a sabbatical or some such, but that's if they decided ahead of time to take such a break. For me, it was more like I was...
Blogging Tales of the Cocktail post Tales, finishing things off
WITH PHOTOS!!! Click here for full-screen slideshow and captions...
Blogging Tales of the Cocktail 2009 post Tales: Day 2
So I got back and I've finally recovered and got some time gather my thoughts on Tales. They really shouldn't end Tales on a Sunday just for the people who have to head back to regular 9-5 jobs after the whole, but I digress.July 9Some seminar highlights worth mentioning:"Mixologists and...
Nonjatta
Ichiro Akuto and Marcin Miller in Paris
Akuto-san speaking in Tokyo last yearUpdate: For latest details on Marcin and Akuto's European appearances, see Marcin's Twitter feed. Ichiro Akuto, Japan's leading independent whisky distiller, and his European distributor Marcin Miller will be sharing their drinks and their thoughts in Paris next week.Akuto, the man behind the respected "Ichiro's...
Bar Curio, first specialist Japanese whisky bar outside of JapanIt has slowly dawned on me in recent weeks that Paris is, without doubt, become the most exciting city for Japanese whisky outside of Japan itself.Last month, Nonjatta carried an item about a temporary store devoted entirely to the Japanese good...
Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on Japanese whisky
An excellent article about Japanese whisky has just popped up on the Wall Street Journal website. Kenneth Maxwell, deputy Tokyo bureau chief for Dow Jones newswires, interviewed myself and others about the prospect of Japanese whisky becoming a serious export commodity. Until now, the industry has basically been all about...
Whiskycast on Japan and the King Car distillery, Taiwan
King Car distillery, TaiwanI forgot to mention that Mark Gillespie of the Whiskycast podcast (itunes), which is essential listening for anyone interested in whisky, interviewed me in the middle of the New Year festivities over here. I am not sure how much light I shone on Japanese whisky but Mark...
Tickets to Japan's biggest whisky festival, Whisky Live Japan, will go on sale at 12 am tomorrow (January 5) at www.whiskylivejapan.com. This year's extravaganza will be at Tokyo Big Sight, Odaiba on Sunday February 21.Entry tickets are 6,000 yen and tickets to the master classes (which must be booked and...
Temporary Japanese whisky shop opens in Paris
A temporary shop devoted entirely to Japanese whisky opened in the centre of Paris today.The "The Strictly Japanese Whisky" store, at 6 Carrefour de L' Odéon, will stay open until January 16 and can probably claim to be the first dedicated (albeit fleeting) Japanese whisky retailer outside of Japan.The leading...
Cocktails News
Here are just a few spots where you can sip some smoky goodness: Setai , Miami - Hickory Old Fashioned Paul Sevigny, the mixologist and creator of the new beverage menu at the Setai, takes a formal approach to his porky additions....
A Valentine's Day party that's love at first sight
To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth. So this year on Valentine's Day, celebrate those you hold dear by honoring them with a soiree that is so romantic and glamorous it will make their hearts jump....
When life hands you Meyer lemons , you should always make cocktails. The smaller version of a standard lemon is in season and with a taste that is simultaneously more mellow and slightly sweeter, it seems meant for baked goods and cocktails....
Vodka is the best spirit to keep around at all times and it is the most popular base spirit for cocktails....
Get fired up over these flaming cocktails
WLUM morning DJs Kramp and Adler judge a furiously flaming drink at 2009's OnMilwaukee.com Bartender Olympics....
The three top cocktails of Spark 6
Need a refresher about what you were drinking? Rob Kalesse Metromix January 26, 2010 We know you enjoyed the drinks at the Spark 6 party last week though we also suspect your memory of what those drinks were exactly might be a little hazy....
Art of Drink
Convincing people to buy a book can be a challenging proposition, so I've decided to sweeten the deal. Anyone who purchases a copy of Fix the Pumps by February 28, 2010 will be entered into a draw for a bag of loot. "What kind of loot?" you say. Well, a......
For Part III of my look into crystal clear ice, I ventured to a company less than an hour from where I live that specializes in making clear ice. It should be no surprise that a company located in Canada is doing amazing things with ice, but the fact that......
Making Clear Ice – Part 2 of 3
The process for making crystal clear ice explained....
Does Caffeine Cause Dehydration? No!
Caffeine in coffee does not increase dehydration during hangovers....
It has come to my attention that Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails has taken up new blog diggs at Slow Cocktails. It seems Wayne has been quietly building up some posts, 25 so far, including the relatable......
How to Make Clear Ice – Part One
How to make crystal clear ice cubes....