The Washington Post laid out this simple and affordable collection of spirits that will have you making Martinis, Mojitos and Manhattans in no time. These dozen well picked bottles can be had for a mere $187. Not a bad investment for the summer. Spend another $80 bucks on on 5 specialty bottles like Pernod and Campari, and you’ll have the ultimate summer bar.
The Well-Stocked Bar for Summer [WaPo]
Also see our own guide to … Read more
If you are always looking for the perfect drink for any occasion, then this little book is the one for you. In The Perfect Drink For Every Occasion, the author will help you find drinks to help with the problems in your life, drinks that will impress a myriad of people and drinks for major life events. I was particularly fond of the categories entitled Marriage, Second Marriage and Third Marriage and Up. For the … Read more
Normal people measure things in ounces, cups, tablespoons and other recognizable increments. Cocktail people often use “parts” instead, which puts the recipe in the form of a ratio.
A part can be any type of measurement. All you have to do is assign a measurement increment to be a part—for example, one part equals one ounce—then do a little bit of basic math.
Here’s an example of a recipe given in parts:
Margarita
So what is the “Green Fairy” and how can you drink it? It’s absinthe, an anise-flavored spirit. It’s usually light green, but can also be colorless, white, yellow … even red. On March 5th 2007, absinthe was once again legalized in America after about 100 years.
Because of its very high alcohol content, the typical preparation involves adding water and sugar to it. Though it takes a little patience, it’s worth it.
Don’t believe the … Read more
The Manhattan is one of my favorite cocktails, yet some bars make me sad by shaking this drink instead of stirring it. Overall, a good rule of thumb to follow is that if a drink consists of all alcoholic mixers (as this one does), then stirring is sufficient to mix the drink. As Robert Hess points out in this instructional video, it also makes for a much more visually appealing cocktail. Check out this video … Read more
Many cocktails have “muddled” ingredients, so recipes tell you to grab your muddler and muddle away. But what does that even mean?
A muddler is a wooden pestle that looks like a miniature baseball bat. The flat end is used to smash ingredients, such as the lime and mint in a Mojito. We recommend wood because it won’t damage your glasses. Some muddlers have teeth on the end, which is great for fruits but too … Read more
If you love the spice, as I do, why not add a little heat to your Cinco de Mayo margaritas? From easy-peasy to a wee bit involved, here are some ways to spice it up:
[The Monthly Mixer is a new column by M. Quinn Sweeney who writes about crafting cocktails at LibationLab.com]
Bottles of fluorescent fluids labeled “sour mix” can be purchased at any grocery or liquor store but what you are buying has no actual fruit or anything else found in nature. It’s an artificial conglomeration of crap that tastes like the description above implies. It’s like stirring up some Tang and calling it orange juice. Bars use … Read more
First, you have to use the traditional tulip shaped British pint glass (about 20 oz). Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle to the tap and fill until the glass is about 2/3 full.
Next, let the Guinness settle for at least 3 minutes. Don’t forget about it though; nothing is worse than making a customer stare at their not-yet-served Guinness for too long.
Finally, top of the pint and let it settle once … Read more
Beer glasses come in all shapes and sizes. Many styles of beer glasses are unique to style of beer and even to the brewery (this is common of Belgian beers). Each type of glass is crafted to help form ans sustain a nice head of foam on the beer. A nice head helps keep all that flavor from escaping before you have a chance to enjoy it.
While there are many different types of beer … Read more
