Fixing the Foam
Fixing the Foam Confession… as a former bartender and college student, I’ve tapped many kegs in my time but never really understood what I was doing and when trouble happened, it was usually one of my employers who fixed it. By the end of my time as a bartender I was chock full of “beer […]
Flowers, Chocolate and… Wormwood?
Flowers, Chocolate and… Wormwood? February is that one month of the year when we are often reminded that we take things for granted. You didn’t spend enough time outside last summer when it was sunny and 80 degrees, did you? Your New Years’ resolutions that were set in stone are quickly crumbling away, aren’t […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – The Americano
AMERICANO COCKTAIL The Americano is one of the simplest cocktails with the most complex taste. This cocktail is composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. It was created by Gaspare Campari in the 1860s. The original name for this drink was “Milano-Torino” because of its ingredients. Campari is from Milan and Cinzano, the vermouth, […]
Featured Craft Cocktail – Orange Blossom Special
ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL For this month’s featured craft cocktail we take a closer look at vermouth and its roll in craft cocktails. Historically, in cocktails, vermouth was used to cut the harsh flavors of unrefined spirits. Today, both spirits and liqueurs are superior to what they use to be. For this reason, cocktail enthusiast search […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – Boulevardier
Boulevardier A cousin of the Negroni, the Boulevardier simply substitutes bourbon in place of gin with slightly different portions. This cocktail is from Harry McElhone’s 1927 Barflies and Cocktails. For years I’ve selected the Negroni cocktail as the perfect balance of bitter sweet. The Boulevardier is slightly more spirit forward but still achieves that balance. […]
Featured Craft Cocktail – Skeleton Key
Skeleton Key In celebration of Halloween, I revisited one of the most successful cocktails I’ve ever placed on a menu. Although the cocktail wasn’t originally inspired by Halloween the name as well as the appearance caters to both fall and Halloween. Last year the Skeleton Key was voted best Halloween cocktail by About.com and […]
If Bitter is Better, Why is Blended so Bad?
Yes that’s a really horrible use of an old grammatical technique to catch your attention: alliteration. Use so many words that start with the same letter and the human eye is tricked into reading what is written below…or maybe it’s just a wicked tongue twister. Either way, you’re reading this and here we are in […]
A Visit to Boston (Beer)
I enjoy traveling and seem to be doing more and more of it. Whether a trip is personal or business I always try and look for local beer.
Whisky vs. Whiskey – There Just Isn’t (E)nough to go Around
Yes, it’s cliché. Great rivalries are not born; they are made over years and decades and centuries. Local? Michigan vs. Ohio State (sorry Sparty). National? Lakers vs. Celtics. British? One word – Manchester. The list goes on and on, but when it comes to great booze there is no better long-lived argument than which side […]