As you read this, I should be arriving in Cognac, France with Grey Goose vodka. I'm here to learn about the product (as well as Bacardi's new D'USSE cognac) and to help judge a cocktail contest: The Grey Goose Ten. Bartenders from ten countries are competing. They are: France -... Read more →
Whiskies of the World comes to Austin November 2. Progressive and vibrant, Austin is known for having more festivals, shows, and other types of gaiety per capita than any other city in US. But until recently, it was missing something… Good news for all of us whisky lovers and artisanal... Read more →
Daniel Hyatt of The Alembic bar in San Francisco has updated most of the drinks on the "New School" portion of the cocktail menu. The menu goes live next week. I see: cucumber ice, bourbon infused with toasted rice, pistachio cream, onion juice, walmeister syrup. Looking forward to trying these!... Read more →
Over at FineCooking.com, I posted a recipe for a rather simple Shandy variation using ingredients from Maine. It comes from a new book Drinking in Maine, which features cocktails with ingredients from Maine. The recipe is here. Read more →
Hey, it looks like I'm writing for WorldsBestBars.com now. For my first installment, I wrote up three newish bars: Local Edition Tradition The newly-reopened Burritt Room. So if you haven't been to one of those yet, you might want to check it out over at WorldsBestBars.com. Photo of Local Edition... Read more →
I really respect the cocktail bar pioneers, those bartenders who set up a quality beverage programs in the middle of the cocktail tundra. In them, every customer transaction ends up being an educational session, as there is always a learning curve with people new to proper cocktails where there were... Read more →
Thanks to reader Urvi S. for writing to tell me that they're making agave spirits in India. She writes: Far, far away from Mexico, an Indian entrepreneur has brought agave to his country, growing it in the Indian Deccan plateau, and has recently launched his brand DesmondJi that creates and... Read more →
Tim Philips of Australia created this simple and delcious drink for the Diageo Happy Hour at Tales of the Cocktail this year. It is tequila, manuka honey syrup, lime juice, and a few dashes of Tabasco. The key is getting the delcious, earthy manuka honey. The recipe is on FineCooking.com... Read more →