The Spirit World

Not long ago, I was trading emails with someone from Flor de Caña about the company’s Nicaraguan rum. She sent me a recipe for what sounded like a delightful summer cocktail called the Flip Flop. Even more delightful, the recipe called for a Chamomile tea infusion. I agreed to give it a try and post […]

Spend any time touring bourbon country, or reading its history, and you’ll quickly learn that distilleries and brands, long-lived though they may be, do not operate under constant ownership. A brand with a historic tie to a distillery might move to another company, or a conglomerate might acquire or sell a famous brand. And all […]

Does your almanac include International Cachaça Day. Honestly, mine doesn’t either, but if you embrace the current enthusiasm or Cachaça, and have been wondering how to use it when you’re not in the mood for a caipirinha, an update might be in order.
Sure, International Cachaça Day is a promotional vehicle for Brazil’s national beverage, but […]

To kick off its new line of specialty tequilas, Gran Centenario is serving up a selection of summer cocktails. Gran Centenario’s new tequilas are: Azul Reposado and Rosangel. And while we’re talking about exoctic new tequilas, Maestro Dobel, which bills itself as the world’s first “diamond” tequila, offers up a cocktail of its own.”
First up, […]

Tickets for the seventh annual Tales of the Cocktail conference and gathering for aficionados of well-made mixed drinks, went on sale last week. Tales brings together bartenders, restaurateurs, distillers, brand managers, cocktail enthusiasts, and anyone interested in learning and practicing the fine art of cocktail-making. As in years past, the event will feature seminars for […]

Like so many things during the holiday season, drinks represent dearly-held traditions. Egg nog, Irish coffee, and hot buttered rum are the three drinks I associate with Christmastime. And when it’s my turn to invite family and friends in for a party or a cozy dinner at this time of year, I serve them my […]

On December 5, 1933, citizens of the United States could once again legally consume alcohol. The 75th anniversary of the end of the 13- year  Prohibition era is a natural marketing opportunity for distillers, and an excuse to party for booze enthusiasts. Repeal Day festivities are planned throught the land, and some sprit-makers have produced […]

The first thing most viewers notice about AMC’s Mad Men TV series is the faithful recreation of an early 1960s “white shoe” ad agency. The costumes, the hairstyles, and the furnishings all seek to immerse the audience in a far-off, but still modern time. For those of us who pay attention to such things, the […]

While sipping a sazerac one evening during this year’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, I noticed a fellow patron conferring with the bartender over an iPhone. I guessed that this person must surely be using the new Cocktails iPhone application to share the recipe of a drink he wanted to order. Now that’s […]

Artisan spirits are very much on the agenda for Tales of the Cocktail attendees. Distillers of hand-crafted, low-volume gins vodkas, liqueurs and other spirits rub shoulders here with innovative bartenders who value artisan spirits as ingredients in their original cocktail creations. You’ll even find distributors who are willing to work to get those products onto […]