Barra México hosts 26 seminars by spirits industry professionals and bartending icons who are global leaders in their areas of expertise. Confirmed speakers include author and beverage consultant Jacob Grier from Portland, Ore.; bar educator and consultant Philip Duff from New York City; bar consultant Rebecca Sturt from Dubai; and influential international bartenders Marian Beke (The Gibson, London), Tony Pescatori (The Nightjar, London), and Kate Gerwin (Front & Cooper, Santa Cruz), among many others. All seminars feature simultaneous translation in English and Spanish. Read more →
A bunch of new boozy books including ones on tequila, tiki, hillary clinton, southern drinks, and mocktails. Read more →
Ten articles by yours truly on drinking and bartending trends in the SF Bay Area. Read more →
We looked at labelling for nuts, seafood, soy, gluten, vegan/vegetarian, how these are listed on various menus or handled only in person, and look at a few unusual things that need to be labelled in UK bars. Bars I spoke to include Trick Dog, the Proper Hotel, and the Tonga Room in San Francisco, Bar Clacson in LA, Bresca in DC, Saint Ellie in Denver, Bar Fiori in NYC, The Aviary in Chicago and New York, and The Hide Bar in London. Read more →
Last year, we saw rosé everywhere: on tap, in cocktails, and in slushie "frosé" format. This year I think we'll be seeing rosé mixed into more and more finished products. Read more →
I was the guest on a podcast speaking about the Gin & Tonic. Read more →
The relationship between directional freezing and freeze distillation, and how the same concept can be used to explain a story from 1890 that clear ice from a lake is more healthy than the water from which it came. Read more →
Is, or was, Directional Freezing a patentable process for making clear ice? That question was proposed on a trademark class exam this winter. Read more →