I watched a video by Philip Duff on the history of gin - is gin the British interpretation of Dutch genever? Or does it come from a more or less independent distilling tradition since British spirits were usually based on a neutral base distillate? I watched a seminar by Jared... Read more →
If you attended Tales of the Cocktail - virtually or in person - you have access to some recorded seminars. I watched and this post reports on one of those seminars: From Usquebaugh to Aqua Fructum: The Early Modern English Origins of English Gin By Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller... Read more →
I created a not-very-complicated but super delicious and spicy cocktail called The Tackler. First I put it up on Fine Cooking. It contains genever, allspice dram, and ginger liqueur. Then 12 Bottle Bar featured it in this post, with one of the longest drink-related historical tangents ever. They delve into... Read more →
I read Washinton Post cocktail columnist Jason Wilson's new book Boozehound. Here are my thoughts. If you're a regular reader of Wilson's Post column (and you should be) you'll already know a lot of his feelings on false marketing claims and made-up brand stories. In this book he gives a... Read more →
After nearly a year of no notable cocktail programs launching in San Francisco, they're coming fast and furious these days, with the Comstock Saloon, Burritt Room, Scott Beattie's program at Spoonbar in Healdsburg, Brooke Arthur's menu at Prospect, and The Bon Vivants at Wayfare Tavern. What's that, you say? Didn't... Read more →
The Blind Pig is a speakeasy-themed bar in Glasgow that I visited on a recent Saturday night while in town for a Bowmore/Auchentoshan press trip. The venue is split into a restaurant and bar area. The bar was absolutely packed but I managed to squeeze my way up close to... Read more →
Check out my story in today's San Francisco Chronicle about new-to-market old-style gins, including genever, old tom, and aged gin. The story is here. Read more →