liquor

A Bright Star

Posted on 11/9/2012 by | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Home & FamilyA majority of the time, pre-Prohibition cocktail books are the research materials I use for creating new cocktails or when I’m looking to serve something new to my guests. They are some great sources for reprints of the old tomes. Probably the best would be Amazon or, my favorite, Cocktail Kingdom. While many of these books are a fascinating look at how bars were run in the early 1900s and the recipes that were cataloged at the time, they don’t …

A Little Winter Spice

Posted on 10/26/2012 by | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Home & FamilySome of the flavors that I tend to associate with cold weather drinking are those that I associate with baking. In fact I call these flavors “baking spices.” What I’m referring to are the common flavors of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. While these flavors can and are used year-round, there is just something about the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg coming from the kitchen when the weather is frosty and snow is on the horizon. One of my favorite sources …

Time for a Little Hanky Panky (The Cocktail, That Is)

Posted on 10/19/2012 by | Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology | Comments

Entertainment | Food | Your LifeWe’ve already talked about making a proper Martini and if you’ve read that article, the recipe in today’s article will look familiar. The Hanky Panky is almost identical to a martini made with sweet vermouth but with the addition of one extra ingredient. While the martini has its own history, the Hanky Panky also has its own fantastic tale. One of the United State’s biggest losses during Prohibition was of bar men. And please note, I’m not being sexist when …

Autumn Jewel

Posted on 10/5/2012 by | 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 | 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 …