cocktails

Autumn Jewel

Posted on 10/5/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Your LifeOne of my favorite liqueurs is Chartreuse. The spicy, herbal, and sweet liquor has been produced by the Carthusian Monks in France since the early 1700′s. The two most common types found in the liquor store is the Green or Yellow variety. The Green variety, arguably the most popular, comes in at 110 proof and is flavored with 132 plants and herbs. It’s color comes from the chlorophyll in these herbs and plants. The Yellow variety is much milder in flavor …

The Three Keys to a Great Manhattan Cocktail

Posted on 09/28/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Your LifeThis past Saturday I was teaching a class on cocktail bitters and one of the students mentioned they had purchased a well-known cocktail book and it only contained two recipes containing bitters. That got me thinking about drinks where bitters are an essential ingredient AND are so simple in execution that it would seem difficult to mess up. This lead me to the Manhattan Cocktail. The Manhattan Cocktail was created near the end of the 1800′s, most likely at the Manhattan …

Fall Out of Summer; A Classic Cocktail With Summer and Fall Spirits

Posted on 09/21/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

FoodLabor Day marks the unofficial end to the summer season. I’m guessing that’s just because most people get a three-day weekend. But if your weather has been anything like our weather here in Virginia, summer is not going quietly into that dark night. It’s felt mid-July rather than early-September since the holiday weekend. With that in mind, I went about finding classic cocktail that had that summer-turning-to-fall feel. While perusing several of my cocktail books, I came across this little …

America’s Early Booze – Applejack

Posted on 09/14/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

FoodWhen most people think of American spirits, the first thing to pop to mind is bourbon. In fact, the United States Congress passed a resolution in 1964 that stated bourbon was identifiable as a distinctly American spirit much like Scotch is distinctly identifiable with Scotland. However, in Colonial America the hooch of choice was often a fermented beverage made with the abundance of apples left over from harvest. Applejack is essentially an American cousin of the French Calvados. The original Applejack was …

Let’s Get Fresh!

Posted on 08/31/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

FoodThere’s still a few good days left of summer so before the weather turns a few degrees cooler and the leaves begin changing colors, I wanted to invite everyone to get fresh! Huh? Let me explain. My cocktails change just like the seasons. As summer begins, I start thinking of fruity, refreshing cocktails. Gin, rum and tequila start showing up more than whiskey and brandy. More than any other season, I want to incorporate those fantastic fruit flavors of the …

The Old Fashioned’s Grandfather

Posted on 08/19/2012 by Marshall Fawley | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Your LifeWhen I was asked to contribute a weekly article on cocktails for the good folks of AARP, there was no doubt in my mind what the first article would cover. The Old Fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails. Unfortunately, most restaurants and bars, when tasked with serving one, give the customer a fruit mashup of booze, fruit, ice and who-knows-what-else. The truth is, the original recipe for the Old Fashioned is deceptively simple and delicious. First, a little history. …