Featured Craft Cocktail – Subtle Smoke
Subtle Smoke Subtle Smoke is a cocktail I created years ago in an attempt to get non-scotch drinkers drinking Scotch whisky. These types of drinks I refer to as Gateway Cocktails. I’ve way liked watching patrons enjoy spirits they normally don’t through tasty drinks. This Cocktail is essentially a gin martini served with a scotch […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – Blood and Sand
Blood & Sand Blood and Sand is one of the few classic cocktails that includes scotch and it is certainly one of my favorites. This drink was named for Rudolph Valentino‘s 1922 bullfighter movie Blood and Sand. The red juice of the blood orange in the drink helped link it with the film. The recipe […]
Featured Craft Cocktail – Reason for Rum
While beginning to create this month’s cocktail I was staring at a bottle of The Scarlet Ibis Rum from Trinidad that was sitting at my desk. Typically, rum isn’t the first spirit I gravitate toward but when this fantastic complex yet delicate rum crosses my path I had all the reason to imbibe. Thus the […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – “E. Hemingway” Special
Immediately when thinking of classic rum cocktails the first name that comes to mind is Daiquiri. In the 1930s, among the many variations on the popular Daiquiri cocktail served at the Floridita was the E Hemingway Special. The Floridita’s recipes frequently called for the use of BACARDÍ rum. Because of this, we look to BACARDÍ […]
I’m Very Sorry, But Our Blender is Broken…
“We’ll have 4 Strawberry Daiquiris!” It’s not something you hear everyday in a discerning watering hole. Even in places of ill-repute, most people would opt for something with an airtight seal such as beer rather than wonder if that blender has been cleaned since 1990. As a former or current bartender, you may still cringe […]
Darkside Revisted – Guinness Draught
So… my malty beer resolution has kind of fallen by the wayside. My beer drinking in general has slowed down this summer due to lack of time. Yes, you read that correctly; I didn’t have enough time to drink the beers I wanted to drink. This is a sad state that I intend to correct […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – The Sidecar
The Sidecar The Sidecar is a classic cocktail traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Today, most Sidecars are crafted with added syrup or a sugared rim garnish. However, a proper Sidecar has no added sugar and is boozy with a sharp citrus finish. The exact origin of the Sidecar is unclear, but […]
Featured Craft Cocktail – From the Roots
From the Roots Inspired by the classic B & B liqueur, this spirit-forward cocktail is perfect for the cognac connoisseur. When crafting the From the Roots cocktail, I find that Benedictine and Aperol complement the delicate favor profit of Pierre Ferrand Cognac. The herbal sweet flavor of Benedictine softens the heat of the cognac while […]
Brandy
If 50 is the new 30, is Brandy really over the hill? Bourbon is hot. Really hot. There is a new Gin landing on the market each and every month. Vodka is flavored with everything from cilantro to wedding cake to bubble gum. The names of large French houses dominate in Cognac, and although this […]