Convincing people to buy a book can be a challenging proposition, so I've decided to sweeten the deal. Anyone who purchases a copy of Fix the Pumps by February 28, 2010 will be entered into a draw for a bag of loot. "Wha... Continue
Lubricant
January 21, 2010
Slow Cocktails
December 29, 2009
It has come to my attention that Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails has taken up new blog diggs at Slow Cocktails. It seems Wayne has been quietly building up some po... Continue
Lighter Spirits = Less Hangover?
December 21, 2009
The is an interesting piece of research going around that says lighter coloured spirits, like vodka, will give you less of a hangover compared to spirits like bourbon. I don’t disagree with the researchers conclusion, an... Continue
Tales 2010
October 6, 2009
Do you have a great idea that you absolutely need to share with the bartending community? If so Tales of the Cocktail is now accepting submissions for presentations for Tales of the Cocktail 2010. I’m sure most peo... Continue
1600’s Presentation
August 3, 2009
Summer has finally arrived where I live, so I’ve been enjoying it, which means less posts. But don’t worry I have a couple of big projects up my sleeve, so expect to see one in about a month. For now the slides for the D... Continue
Sugar Presentation
July 17, 2009
The Sugar: Science of Sweet presentation is now available in PDF format. I tried exporting it to Flash, but no luck, for now. I’ll be expanding on some of the items, in articles, over the summer, but if you have a questi... Continue
What Day Is It Again?
July 10, 2009
Tales of the Cocktail moves along so fast, sometimes it is hard to really know what day it is. Happily, I woke up, without a hangover, and realized it was Friday, my big, two session, back-to-back, day. I love a challeng... Continue
TotC Day 1
July 7, 2009
Pictures have started popping up in the photo gallery. Upload speeds, via the hotel’s wireless, is rather slow, so it could very well take a couple hours to get the pictures online. I’m working on that. Anyway, I arrive... Continue
Tales 2009
July 5, 2009
And with this post I am on my way to Tales of the Cocktail 2009. Next post will be from New Orleans. If you can’t attend, but still like the spirit of the event, I’ll be covering much of it here on Art of Drink. My inten... Continue
NOLA.com
June 21, 2009
Here's a link to a quick.writeup at NOLA.com about Tales of the Cocktail and the Drinks from the 1600's session.... Continue
Ice Culture
By DARCY S. O'NEIL January 11, 2010
For Part III of my look into crystal clear ice, I ventured to a company less than an hour from where I live that specializes in making clear ice. It should be no surprise that a company located in Canada is doing amazing things with ice, but the fact that they ship the ice to the four corners of the globe is impressive. Their key to success is the sheer quantity of crystal clear ice they produce on any given day and their ability to sculpt it into fascinating structures.
Recently Published Posts
Making Clear Ice – Part 2 of 3 by Darcy O'Neil on Jan 6, 2010
Does Caffeine Cause Dehydration? No! by Darcy O'Neil on Dec 31, 2009
How to Make Clear Ice – Part One by Darcy O'Neil on Dec 28, 2009
Angostura Phosphate by Darcy O'Neil on Dec 19, 2009
Cherry Phosphate by Darcy O'Neil on Dec 17, 2009
National Bartenders School
September 7, 2009
Disagreements are normal, and I'm happy to debate the finer points of bartending and cocktails with anyone. Sadly, some people prefer the angry dictator approach. David Rattner, of National Bartenders School, being one of them. But that's OK. What's not cool is the his inability to separate the topic from the individual. Another charming letter from Dave follows.
Q&A: How do you stop sedimentation in bitters?
July 5, 2009
Question from Blair: I've noticed a phenomena when I'm making bitters. After I macerate this that or the other in the alcohol, I filter it to remove any sediment, twigs, etc. I then add cooled caramel syrup to lower the proof and give it a nice texture/color. After adding and blending the syrup, I start to get some flaky fallout... looks like old fish food or something. It seems like something falls out of solution? I'm partly curious to know why this happens, partly want to stop it from happening.
Surfeit Water
February 5, 2009
Today we use bitter liqueurs, like Ramazzotti, Fernet and Poli, as a form of digestif, to help with our over-indulgent nature. Sometimes sweet liqueurs, or cocktails, can provide some relief after we've gorge at the trough of gluttony. Before our "modern" digestive aids, there were similar cordials (1700's) that served the same purpose. These cordials were called Surfeit Water, which were specifically created for overindulgence. They differed from Bitters, in that pharmacists and doctors provided bitters for your ill's, where Surfeit Water was provided by your saloon keeper.
