Bitter Last WordsSep 9, 2011

A friend recently mentioned how one crafty bartender had treated her to his bitter variation of the Last Word, swapping Angostura for  gin in the  traditional recipe. I had to give it a try, and found it biting and aggressive

The Cheery HerringAug 9, 2011

I had forgotten all about this recipe, which I posted on nermo.com before I wrote (or knew) much about cocktails, until I got an email today from a gal at Al Gore’s office asking if he could use my red

Happy Bastille DayJul 14, 2011

The Bijou is a strong, herbaceous and decadent cocktail, which gets its name from the french word for jewel.

It’s great to batch for your Bastille Day soiree, because all of the ingredients are shelf stable, so all you need to

Nocino ManhattanJun 30, 2011

A year ago, TSB and I ordered a crate of green walnuts to make nocino and vin de noix.

A couple weeks ago, we finally strained the stuff and rebottled.  While the vin de noix wasn’t thrilling, the nocino is a treat!

Bar Snack: LiptauerJun 28, 2011

Have I ever mentioned that I’ve mapped out the concept for my first cocktail bar?  As incredibly pretentious as it sounds, the theme is Freudian, fin-de-siecle Vienna, but way more fun and playful than that makes it

My intern wanted to use my ice cream maker before she moved to LA, so we made a batch of banana vice cream with brown sugar and Smith and Cross aged rum. It is spectacular!

Vice Cream: Monkey in a Barrel

 

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Homemade BittersJun 3, 2011

I’m setting out to divine my own recipes for cocktail bitters, so the first logical step was to start with a standard, traditional recipe before branching out to make my own magical concoctions.

I have plans for

Maraschino CherriesMay 30, 2011

The florescent pink orbs you find in jars at the supermarket are an affront to the proper cocktail.

Rather than buying “maraschino cherries” from your grocer, buy firm, fresh cherries when they are in season, or a bag of dried bing

Kumquat MarmaladeMay 23, 2011

Fresh fruit and herbs are the best drink ingredients, but growing seasons can be short, while cocktail cravings last year-round, so the best compromise is to preserve fresh produce for later use. This approach also works if you have a

Classic Punch RecipeMay 20, 2011

“The man who sees, does, or thinks of anything else while he is making Punch may as well look for the Northwest Passage on Mutton Hill. A man can never make good punch unless he is satisfied, nay