Apples Make Delicious Gin
Serious gin drinkers know that most gins begin with a neutral spirit of more than 180 proof. Working on the theory that neutral spirits are tasteless, most gins are also distilled from grains, such as corn or barely. Usually,...
There Is a Shrub in My Drink
When a bartender researches inexpensive ideas for keeping a cocktail program relevant, I recommend they start by revisiting the past. Why? To rediscover ancient flavors, Shrubs have suddenly become popular again, and yet many of the techniques for creating...
Vermouth, It Isn’t Just a Hair Tonic Any Longer!
What?
Hair tonic? Yes, historically speaking, you would apply some vermouth to your scalp if you have problems with your hair. Vermouth is a noun derived from the German word wermut, or wormwood. Medicinal herbs, one of which is wormwood,...
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...
Book Review: “Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking”
Kentucky Bourbon, The Early Years of Whiskeymaking
Henry G. Crowgey, 2008, University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 978-0-8131-9183-6
It’s rare for a scholarly treatise that tackles the labyrinthine murk of Bourbon history to end up being a good read, but that’s exactly what...
