Meeting in person and directing our attention intentionally is more important than ever. Some events that sound interesting in San Francisco and online: Walking Tour of the SF Gold Rush and Sunken Ships Feb 8 Martiny’s NYC pop-up at True Laurel Feb 10 Cognac talk by Tiffanie Barriere Feb 11,... Read more →
I’ve read in other sources that when grain distillation became available in the 1400s and 1500s, it was viewed as a far less healthy alcohol than that distilled from grape wine. The sources I’m thinking of were from Germany, at a time when distilled spirits were still technically medicinal, even... Read more →
I recently finished The Forgotten Sense: The New Science of Smell—and the Extraordinary Power of the Nose It’s a look at the forgotten importance of our sense of smell, an appreciation for it in a visual world, and mostly a readable narrative look at the modern science of smell, including... Read more →
This post has nothing to do with cocktails. Last night I attended a talk by Iris Jamahl Dunkle, author of the new book Riding Like the Wind: The Life of Sanora Babb. Sanora Babb was a writer who worked during the Dustbowl for the Farm Security Administration. She was working... Read more →
Hi - Some events I’m going to that you can join if you’d like. Jan 25: Nat Harry Author Talk • Spirits Distilled: A Guide to the Ingredients Behind a Better Bottle @ Omnivore Books - free Info here - no tickets needed In Spirits Distilled San Francisco World Spirits... Read more →
This is just a list of resources and stores from which to purchase herbs for making bitters and other cocktail projects for future reference. San Francisco Herb Co Frontier Co-op Herb Pharm Mountain Rose Herbs Starwest Botanicals Read more →
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, etc) is a rotten corporation, and if you, like me, wish to spend significantly less time on them yet still remain in community with fellow cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders, there are a few alternative spaces. They include: Bluesky (find my profile here) that is just New... Read more →
Esquire magazine printed an article with the Ten Best Cocktails of 1934 - the year after Prohibition was repealed. They included at the end a list of the Worst cocktails as well. Esquire’s link to the story is here, but it requires a subscription to view. DiffordsGuide has the list... Read more →