The Spirit World

I mentioned this little book, Sangria: Fun and Festive Recipes, in this last week’s Happy Hour at Home post.
It is such a great book, I wanted to share a bit more about it with you. First, sangria is a perfect party beverage. It generally is best if made ahead of […]

One of the email newsletters I subscribe to recently featured a bevy of beverages supplied by Dale DeGroff for springtime imbibing. You’ll notice that pink plays heavily in this theme… as do flowery names. Perfect for spring!
Cherry Blossom
1/2 oz. Peter Heering Liqueur (cherry brandy)
1/2 oz. Curacao
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
5 Sour Cherries
Muddle […]

I happen to be a big fan of mojitos… straight up mint and limey ones, fruity ones (strawberry, mango or pineapple are all amazing), and even the more obscure cucumber or jalapeño options. But, there is always room for a new drink in the mix. I mean, you can’t drink mojitos every time it’s sunny […]

Lara is a geek, wife, and mother of a soon-to-be teenage daughter living in Seattle. After many years sacrificed in high tech, Lara quit her well-paying job to pursue her dream of writing. She now spends her days creating as many lists and projects as possible, mostly of the food or photography related varieties, to […]

Our weather here is very spring like - a little mix of everything but more and more sun! All the flowering trees are blooming, tulips can be seen at every turn and there are blossoms of one sort or another everywhere you look. I definitely have spring fever! And that means my […]

Based on a poorly-controlled, roundly unscientific study that I’ve conducted over the past six years, the most popular liquor here in Spain seems to be Dyc. Dyc is a Scotch-style whiskey—albeit one that’s a far cry from Glenlivet or The Macallan.
It is typically guzzled in disturbing quantities by twenty-something Spanish men. […]

I went to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania (about twenty-five minutes from Hershey) to find the Bube’s Brewery (102 North Market Street in Mount Joy, PA 17552; (717) 653-2056). I wasn’t sure exactly sure how to pronounce the word “Bube.” Was it Boobs? Or, Boobies? Neither of which sounded too likely to me. […]

I’ve been a member of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) for several years, but for fewer years than I have been brewing beer. Not long after I started homebrewing beer, my wife and I joined a local homebrew club. Our membership in the local club was disconnected from membership in the AHA. […]

For those of you in Seattle, Robert will be teaching a class on the Martini next Tuesday, May 2 at Olivers in the Mayflower Hotel. The class will be co-taught with Ryan Magarian, Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown, all luminaries in the Mixology World.
To register for this class or one of the many […]

Yes, it’s finally time to address that quintessential cocktail, the Martini. This drink has suffered terribly from becoming far too easy of a name to just toss about haphazardly. To understand this better, let me quickly relate it to a similar situation that occurred in the wine industry during the 1950’s.
Great wine was not always […]