A couple weeks ago I was in Dublin, Ireland with Jameson Irish Whiskey. While there I made sure to check out all the pubs and cocktail bars I could, because that's what I do. My hosts were Aaron Wall on one night and Paul Lambert on another- thanks guys! I... Read more →
There are no legal differences between triple sec and Curacao, only a few practical and many historical differences. In summary: Both triple sec and Curacao are orange-flavored liqueurs, and today’s triple secs are typically clear, while curacao is either clear or sold in a variety of colors, including blue. Curacao... Read more →
Sherry and tequila are showing up together on more and more cocktail menus. I wrote a story about that in the Sunday, February 20th San Francisco Chronicle. (Del Rio cocktail by Josh Harris of the Bon Vivants. Photo: Craig Lee) More drinks including Tequila and Sherry Camper English, Special to... Read more →
In early February I visited the Jameson Irish Whiskey distillery - actually two of them. The original Jameson distillery is in Dublin, but it is no longer made there. In 1971 it moved to the Midleton distillery in Cork. The reason is because in the late 1960's Irish Distillers was... Read more →
Here is the cocktail menu of Prime Meats in Brooklyn. For those of you in San Francisco, you can have a taste of a few of the drinks from bartender Damon Boelte, as he's guesting at Beretta on Tuesday, February 22 and at sister restaurant Delarosa on Wednesday, February 23.... Read more →
Some friends who meditate told me about the movie Into Great Silence, which follows the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps. As I barely stop talking you can bet they weren't telling me about its depiction of the silent lifestyle of the monks as something of... Read more →
Another magazine I write for that is not usually online is Caviar Affair, for which the tagline is, "Celebrating wordly indulgences and luxury living." That's so *me*, right? Actually it really is, except that other people indulge me in the luxury to which I've become accustomed. Anyhoo, they did put... Read more →
Fat-washing is the technique by which bartenders infuse the flavors in fatty substances into alcohol. Usually that's a pork product such as bacon. The meat is put into alcohol and infused for a time, then the liquid is chilled and the fatty part, which floats to the top, removed. The... Read more →