AQ has launched their winter cocktail menu. I see: infused vermouth, redwood tincture, Fool's Wager. Looks goood. Menu below. Aperitifs TEN DOLLARS CHURCHILL’S BANE winter gin botanical infused vermouth juniper tincture, lemon twist PISCO TI PUNCH pisco, lime, rose, sugar Seasonal Classics TWELVE DOLLARS OLD FASHIONED eagle rare bourbon, (winter... Read more →
After reviewing the literature of grenadine in cocktails, I have a few observations. Grenadine Use Was Probably Influenced by Europe We know that pomegranates had been grown in the US since the 1700s, and that they were grown commercially before 1917. But as far as I can see, grenadine as... Read more →
When was grenadine first used in cocktails? I thought this would be a simple question to answer, but not so much. Along the way to figuring this out, I've had to split up this one blog post into several. First we'll look at the cocktail books from 1862 - 1930... Read more →
A "drink-through" is when you drink all of the cocktails on a menu to see what they're like. I didn't quite do a true drink-through at Rich Table, the newish restaurant in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, as I only had 8 out of the 11 drinks on the menu. I'm... Read more →
My latest post for the Details.com Daily Blog is about acid phosphate and its popularity in cocktails. I mention Darcy O'Neil's Fix the Pumps book, of course, as well as his line of acid phosphate and lactart. I name-check a few bars serving acid phosphate drinks as well, including: The... Read more →
This post is sponsored by PAMA pomegranate liqueur and written by me. In a previous post I tried to come up with a definition of a modifier, finding that others didn't match my expectations. I proposed the following: A modifier is a cocktail ingredient, usually alcoholic and typically a fortified... Read more →
In the December issue of Oakland Magazine, I have a short piece about Japanese drinking culture in Oakland. The story is centered on UmamiMart, the online and brick-and-mortar shop selling Japanese bar (and kitchen) tools. I also mention big ice (of course) at places like Prizefighter, and Japanese whisky like... Read more →
Hello new readers - The best of the ice posts are: - How to make clear ice using a cooler - How to make giant crystal clear ice cubes Then some fun projects with ice are here and here and here and here. Read more →