The Spirit World

One of the first issues that many people encounter when they encounter cachaça for the first time, is that squirrelly little “ç”. That little squiggle under the “c” is known as a “cedilla”, and is usually referred to simply as “c-cedilla”. The cedilla mark itself, is used in conjunction with various other letters (d, g, […]

Pernod is one of those products that everybody is probably familiar with, but few people actually use very much. The first thing most people notice when they sample it, is simply that it tastes like licorice. When sipped straight, the overall flavor is fairly intense, and the licorice like flavor of the star anise that […]

I first encountered maraschino liqueur while perusing through Paul Harrington’s cocktail website that was being published by HotWired back when the web was young. He presented a couple different cocktails which used this product, but warned that it was nearly impossible to find. Today, Paul’s site is gone, but fortunately maraschino liqueur has seen a […]

Consider the Egg. A product that holds a variety of fascinating uses, including as being an ingredient in many excellent cocktails. The Pisco Sour, and Ramos Gin Fizz are perhaps the most well known, but the time was when one of the most popular cocktails of the day was one that included the use of […]

I seem to be drawn toward obscure ingredients, especially once which have unique or interesting flavors. I can’t recall the first time I encountered Cynar, but it was definitely an ingredient that fit well into my repertoire. From a flavor standpoint, the way I describe Cynar, as that it is a kinder and gentler version […]

Like Chartreuse, Bénédictine is another herbal liqueur with monastic associations. The recipe for Chartreuse was acquired by a monastery, where it was refined and subsequently manufactured, where it is still being made to this day. Bénédictine on the other had is a recipe that was originally developed in a monastery, and then later acquired by […]

In the early days of distillation, it was common for the alcohol produced to be seen as more medicinal then it was intoxicating, or at least that’s what people often convinced themselves of. It was thus also common for the distilled spirits to be combined with a variety of botanicals which would be seen as […]

Often described as the bitterest of bitters, Campari is definitely an acquired taste.
I still recall my very first experience with Campari. I hadn’t yet fully entered the world of cocktails, but my culinary sensibilities still urged me to be adventuresome at discovering new flavors and experiences when the opportunity arose. In this particular case I […]

If you look through enough old tomes of cocktails, you will no doubt encounter references to “Amer Picon”. This product is produced and sold in France. While it used to be relatively easy to find, over the last couple of decades it has become increasingly scarce. At the current time there is no distributer that […]

Jägermeister.
Chances are, depending on your age, and current experience with quality cocktails, that one word either causes you to roll your eyes in disgust, or gleefully smile in anticipation of your next party shot.
Most bartenders/mixologists who consider themselves to be dedicated to quality cocktails will relegate Jägermeister into the same dark and dusty cabinet where […]