The Spirit World

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 […]

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 […]