The Spirit World

One of the key new products I was looking forward to seeing at the recent London Bar Show was Angostura’s new orange bitters. But before I dive into that, I’d like to provide a little background to help set the context.
We’ve covered cocktail bitters overall in the past, in which we discussed the category itself, and […]

For anyone who has ever wondered how to make a White Russian salute, a Mint Julep take notice or a Tom Collins respect you in the morning, look no further. Cocktails on the Fly (http://www.cocktailsonthefly.tv/) debuts as a virtual salon, catering to viewers interested in bringing the same level of creativity to their cocktails […]

Recently, Lucid Absinthe has started selling legally within the US.
Anybody who has hung around cocktails and spirits for very long has run into the topic of Absinthe, the Green Fairy.  Absinthe was banned in Switzerland, the country of its origin, in 1907. It was banned in the US, a country where it was in fact […]

For about a year now I’ve been working on a Long Island Beer Guide. I decided to include all things related to beer in this Guide: pubs, brewpubs, breweries, restaurants and beer stores. Since starting the Guide I’ve seen many different approaches to selling beer. During this same time period I’ve traveled to a dozen […]

For many years now, elderflower syrup has been a somewhat common ingredient for a variety of cocktails. At least in Europe, and specifically in London. I’ll often get calls or e-mail from some bar here in the states asking where they can get elderflower syrup for some cocktail they want to add to their menu. […]

I just walked in the door. I’m back from a fun filled weekend in Boston where I had to explain that living in New York doesn’t automatically make you a New Yorker (evidently there is some rivalry between New York and Boston concerning some sports teams).
The easiest way to get a beer in Boston is […]

Over in Europe a bunch of bloggers are in the middle of a surprise parcel exchange - Euro Blogging By Post.
Each participant sends off a parcel of food and, in return, receives one from a mystery sender. My parcel arrived yesterday from Andreaa in Brussels, who writes on the food blog On Food and Wine. […]

Last week we discussed vermouth, with an eye towards expanding your use and appreciation of this fine product. Vermouth deserves a little more exposure and understanding, and what better way to help it along than to provide you with another drink that makes use of it, and thus helping you to find out how it […]

Out of Penn you can catch the Local 1 (sound familiar? actually the Express train works just as well, but it lacks the beer reference, for now) down to Christopher Street and Sheridan Square. From there its only a couple of blocks to The Blind Tiger (281 Bleecker, New York, NY, 212-462-4682). Just walk down […]

Ever notice how you can order just about any fruity drink at any time, whether the fruit is in season or not?  No?  Maybe it’s just me and my fondness for the frou-frou cocktail drinks.  If you were wondering how the bartenders do it, I’ll let you in on one of their little secrets … […]