The other month I came across a citation of something I wrote in a book that I'd not previously known about. This lead me to do a Google Books search to see if there were any more, and there were - a lot! So this post is more or less... Read more →
Below is a collection of new spirits launches this December from my Instagram page. Click on over to insta for more info. Read more →
Nobody gave me a huge diamond chain for the holidays this year, so I had to make my own. I used the typical cooler method for directional freezing, and Put a clear plastic box with holes drilled in the bottom in the cooler. The holes allow trapped air/impurities to be... Read more →
Years ago I learned how to cut up slabs of ice using only an ice pick, but boy have I improved my technique since then. But the method is the same: Fill a cooler with water and put it in the freezer with the top off. After a couple days... Read more →
I was reading a book for one of my book clubs and accidentally learned something about bar history. The Barbizon is ostensibly about a hotel for women in New York, but really it's about the changing role of women from the 1920s through the 1970s through the lens of the... Read more →
I had the opportunity to check out the new bar-focussed restaurant The Madrigal last week. The cocktails come from Mike McCardle, formerly of Shakewell in Oakland. The bar is located on Van Ness right near the opera/symphony to take advantage of pre-show crowds. It's a nice space and you can... Read more →
I checked out Bluestem Brasserie, now slightly rebranded as Bluestem Restaurant & Market with grab and go items as well as dine-in. The new cocktail program is a tribute to California flavors with things like bay leaf and rosemary atop figs, clementines, and even avocado in one. There’s a Cioppino... Read more →
I decided to try to make shot glasses out of ice slabs made in a cooler. I froze water, cut it into big cubes and then bought a 1.5 inch drill bit. I was surprised to find how easy it was after that. I drilled a hole in the middle... Read more →