I’ve added new July 2025 dates for my "Bar & Cocktail History Hop” walking tour. In July, I have one taking place after work on a Tuesday, another on a Friday afternoon for those who want to blow off work or call it a ‘teambuilding’ event, and then a regular... Read more →
I was trolling the dollar store for things to freeze into ice cubes, as I do, and found these large fluorescent ants. I froze them into ice cubes using my Clearly Frozen tray. Then I shined a blacklight on them. They look awesome, even better in a glass with a... Read more →
I wrote a story for the SFStandard about elderflower liqueur making a huge comeback. It was so popular when the brand St. Germain first launched in 2007 that it was given the nickname “bartender’s ketchup.” It’s so back, but now bartenders are using a wide range of products. Read the... Read more →
I was browsing in the dollar store for stuff to freeze into ice cubes, as I do, and found a bag of party favor rings. They’re made for kids and so can only fit about halfway up my pinky finger, but it’s proof of concept. To freeze the rings into... Read more →
My fellow drink writer Liza Weisstuch wrote a story about seltzer and the specific affinity that the jewish people of NYC have for it. The story includes some quotes from me, as I covered the medicinal history of spas and the soda fountain in my book Doctors and Distillers. The... Read more →
Now open in San Francisco: The Valley Club, in the former Benjamin Cooper space in Union Square Read more →
This venue has been in the works for a while - years I think. But I just saw some public info about it. Future Bars (Bourbon & Branch, Pagan Idol, Rickhouse, Bottle Club Pub, Local Edition, Zombie Village, Cask Stores, etc) is opening a venue with concepts that will regularly... Read more →
A thing I do for edu-tainment is watch the Great Courses series on various (mostly historical) subjects. It’s like going to college forever, which is what I would do if I could afford it. You remember the Great Courses, of course! They were advertised in SkyMall. If I remember correctly... Read more →