When bars began rolling out drink programs with cocktails on tap and bottled cocktails a few years ago, one big question was whether they'd start hiring less knowledgeable bartenders because they wouldn't need to do any high-level mixology anymore. So far the question has been moot because every bar (that... Read more →
I have a to-read backlog of more than 40 cocktails and spirits books in my house, and that's just the print ones. So while I haven't read the majority of these books released in 2013 yet, I want to list them all together in case you want to buy something... Read more →
The newest restaurant from the Daniel Patterson Group is located in San Francisco but named Alta CA. It should be in soft opening mode any day now. The bar manager for the cocktail program is Ashley Miller, most recently of Hakkasan and TRES before that. Miller has put together a... Read more →
I'm always looking for cocktail mixers on Amazon.com that I can order to save myself a trip to the store. I like to drink, and I'm lazy. I also have Amazon Prime that gives me free shipping on a ton of stuff in addition to some free streaming movie content... Read more →
The Long Now Foundation, located in Fort Mason next to Greens, is opening an as-yet-unnamed salon that in the meantime they're just calling The Salon. They've been raising funds for a while now, but plans are to be open early in 2014. Jennifer Colliau is leaving the Slanted Door Group... Read more →
In a slideshow for Popular Science, I wrote about ten pieces of bar equipment you not know about as they're hidden behind the scenes. The story includes equipment used by some of the world's most innovate bartenders and includes equipment including rotovaps, machine-engraved ice, sous-vide cooking, and many others. Check... Read more →
Octopus Punch Bowl - I haven't forgotten about this punch bowl since I saw it at Bellocq in New Orleans a couple years ago, and then Imbibe magazine had a picture of it in their November 2013 issue. It's available on the VagabondHouse website (for a mere $2640) along with... Read more →