Fall 2016 Book Reviews
Bitterman’s Field Guide to Bitters and Amari: 500 Bitters, 50 Amari, 123 Recipes for Cocktails, Food and Homemade Bitters
Mark Bitterman
Andrew McMeel Publishing, 2015
216 pages
ISBN 9781449470692
$25.00
Mark Bitterman is the author of Bitterman’s Field Guide to Bitters and Amari: 500 Bitters,...
Hunting the Black Cat
Spirit and cocktail history is a strange thing; it is rare that the definitive truth will ever be discovered, and the history at any one time just gives a snapshot of our understanding. Ask any drinks historian worth their...
Making Sense of Sorghum Rum
Sorghum spirits are the shape-shifters of the distilling world. In the liquor aisle you can find sorghum rum, sorghum whiskey, and products labeled simply as “sorghum spirits.” Sorghum appears to be neither fish nor fowl, but some miracle plant...
Gin: One-Shot vs. Concentrate or Concentrating on Gin with a Single-Shot
There are many different ways to create gin, even before you switch on the still. Even after the distillate is produced, a whole range of different decisions and options exist.
A simple way to produce gin is to put botanicals...
All About The Base
In the US, the renaissance in craft gin distilling has been underway for over a decade and, today, there are over 350 producers throughout America. The UK is starting to catch up (at least relative to its size) since...
Expressing your Bitter Side
Another night behind the bar, and in they drag themselves. Servers with bloodshot eyes, quivering hands, and groaning voices, shuffle around the restaurant. “Why did I slam those shots last night?” mumbles one not-so-plucky duckling. Chuckling as I make...
The Fuss Over Water
Water is an essential part of any spirit, and in many cases, a distiller’s chosen water will make up more than 50% of their final product. As such, many producers emphasize the source of their water, whether from glaciers,...
