Two At The Most

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by Sonja Kassebaum over at Thinking of Drinking. In addition to running a fine boutique distillery, North Shore, with her husband, Sonja is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This month she’s chosen the topic that’s near and dear to my heart:
The topic for February is Absinthe. That much maligned, misunderstood, mistreated spirit, suddenly plentiful … Continue Reading

It’s Mixology Monday yet again.1 This month is being hosted by Frederic & Co. over at Cocktail Virgin Slut, and our topic is tea. Fred’s instructions:
Find or concoct a drink recipe that uses tea or tisane (a herbal “tea” which lacks tea leaves) as an ingredient. This can be hot tea, cold tea, tea syrups, or infusions and use it … Continue Reading

Mixology Monday is here again, and this month is being hosted by one of my favorite Seattle bartenders, Kevin Langmack.1 Kevin has given us the theme of Money Drinks. We had two directions we could go. First:
A “Money” drink is something you can put in front of anyone, regardless … Continue Reading

I usually want a gin that plays well with others, one I can use in all sorts of different drinks.

Elderflower Royale

Some gins are more particular though, getting along famously with some and acting aloof and standoffish with others.

Port of Barcelona gin is one of those gins. It is produced in the Kingdom of Spain by Esmeralda Distillery, the same people who bring us the delightful Obsello Absinthe.  The botanicals … Continue Reading

I was paging through Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails when I hit The Communist.

The Communist Cocktail

The Communist

1 ounce London dry gin
1 ounce orange juice
0.75 ounce lemon juice
0.5 ounce cherry brandy (Cherry Heering)

Shake until as sold as Mother Russia, double strain into a very proletarian cocktail glass.

With fresh fruit juices and Cherry Heering, this is a little bourgeois for the name. I was initially reluctant to go with the full 3/4 ounce lemon juice, but decided the cherry … Continue Reading

This Thursday, April 9, Thursday Drink Night will be sponsored by Mount Gay Extra Old Rum, and I received a sample bottle to prepare for the event.

Milanese Sailor

Mount Gay Distilleries holds the distinction of being the oldest rum in the world, with documentation of rum production at the Mount Gay estate dating to February 20, 1703.

The Extra Old is perhaps the most distinguished product of Mount Gay Rums. The rum is blended from the … Continue Reading

Bulleit Bourbon is a modern take on an old recipe. The modern product started in 1987, when Tom Bulleit attempted to recreate his great-great-grandfather’s bourbon recipe. By all accounts, the result is a great tasting bourbon. It’s long been a favorite of mine. When I received a box with a full bottle and two logo glasses, I felt compelled to post to Twitter a thank you for the care package.

Right Gin is not afraid to say it – they want to be the gin for people who think they don’t like gin. It is, after all, created by people who thought they should like gin but couldn’t find one that worked for them. As you know, I already know I like gin, but was happy to receive a bottle of this gin produced in Sweden to sample.

Personally, I have to wonder what gins they did try, considering their big complaint was a heavy, oily aftertaste. That’s a problem I find exists … Continue Reading

I’m eagerly looking forward to this week’s Thursday Drink Night. Our sponsor is Beefeater Gin. I’m expecting there will be a lot of fun and interesting drinks invented based on this London dry gin, which is one of my favorites because it brings high quality at an affordable price.

San Martín Cocktail

To get into the spirit, I wanted to try a a new-to-me gin cocktail. I picked up my copy … Continue Reading

When I was young, we lived on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, surrounded by the beautiful Sonora desert. We kids would pick the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, braving the tiny spines that lodged in our fingers to peel and eat the fruit. My mother would make prickly pear jelly, although one year in our eagerness, we kept fussing with the jars, which never set, and we had pancakes with prickly pear syrup instead.