Ingredients & Formulations

Perfect Partners

These words are as true today as they were in 1924 when Cole Porter wrote them. Okay, so perhaps a cocktail can’t give you grail-like eternal life, but the combination of these two ingredients is one that endures. But why...

Bitter Spirits

Stalks of grayish green herbs hang from the ceiling, as they have since they were picked the previous year and set to dry. One by one, the man pulls down each stalk and delicately strips the dry leaves and...

A Journey through Armagnac in search of the “Original” Craft Producers

Last autumn, I spent a month journeying through the great brandy producing regions of France, meticulously researching their varied warehousing, maturation, and blending techniques. One morning late in the trip, as I was cautiously navigating the fog-enveloped, narrow country...

Green with Envy … or not

Ever since the invention of the Gin & Tonic, there has been debate and discussion on what is the best garnish to use. The two main contenders are lemon (Citrus limon) and lime (Citrus latifolia or Citrus aurantiifolia), although...

American Amaro

Some flavors appear to appeal to us from childhood, from the salty snap of chips and pretzels to the luscious sweetness of fruit and chocolate. But as every espresso-sipping, kimchi-munching grownup can attest, some flavors take a while to...