Depending on where you are from, or your inclination for spelling things, there are many ways to spell this almond flavoured cordial syrup. Sometimes it's with an x (noyeaux) sometimes it's shortened (noyau) and it can even be spelt shortened with an x (noyaux), among other varied spellings. Aside from being slightly annoying, this is a mainstay cocktail ingredient that has been usurped by the Italian amaretto's. But it is still called for, and for those who like to dabble in the art of homemade liqueurs, here is a recipe for Creme de Noyeau De Martinique.

This February, in Lapland, Finland, will be the 11th annual Finlandia Vodka Cup. This event draws bartenders from 30 nations to compete, in the arctic circle, for the Finlandia Cup title. The final 30 bartenders are culled from a series of regional and semi finals held in major cities around the world. The North American finals were held in November (2008) at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Spring where seven American and four Canadian bartenders faced-off. The winning  bartender, from each country, is to be loaded on an airplane and shipped to the arctic. I was privileged enough to be invited to observe the event, and this is what went down.

The term "hoar frost" is usually describes as a cold weather phenomenon where ice crystals form on objects that are below the dew point. The result is that the objects are covered in a sparkling white coat of ice crystals that can be spectacularly beautiful, on a a bright blue winter morning. The appearance of hoar frost is often duplicated on cocktail glassware, using sugar crystals to "rim the glass." In 1934 a Hoar Frost cocktail was created by Adolphe Krieger, and subsequently won the International Bar Mixers' Union cocktail competition in Frankfurt Germany. The rimming isn't a new technique, but I'm going to try "something new" to qualify for Mixology Monday being hosted by A Mixed Dram.

You know the world of the cocktail is changing when a vermouth company reformulates their product to the original recipe. This seems to be happening more frequently now that people have started to appreciate more complex flavours and less syrupy sweetness. Noilly Prat Original has just hit the airwaves in Ontario, with their rediscovered love for the past. Prior to this epiphany, Noilly Prat had been hocking the "Extra Dry" formulation, which was--correct me if I'm wrong--a marketing tie in with the Extra Dry Martini from days-gone-by. So the questions is: is this a good thing or bad?

History has a tendency of repeating itself, and the world of bartending is not immune to the cycles of time. Perusing through old newspaper articles and finding an article from 1885 (Boston Daily Globe) that could have been written today, and been completely relevant, only reinforces these historical oscillations. The article seems to be a long lament of an indulgent imbiber, who lost a rare type of bartender. Today, the majority of people rarely come across a bartender who actually cares about what they are doing, but we seem to be heading into a period of renewed professionalism behind the bar, which is always a welcomed change. Read on for the article.

Browsing through some old newspapers I came a cross this article on the origin of Orange Curaçao (Kansas City Star - June 25, 1894). It is an interesting historical account of how orange Curaçao (spelled Curacoa in the article) or Triple Sec came to be. The original grades of Curacao are detailed and the "green ribbon" variety deemed the best. The green ribbon is a reference to the variety of orange (laraha) and the way the oranges were peeled. Ironically, the best variety of orange is green. The reason the orange is green is its picked before it has ripened, as it provides the best aroma and taste at this stage.

I've been updating the site and here's what you will find new, but not necessarily exciting. I've finally updated the look of Jerry Thomas' Bartender Guide to the new template and updated the domain. It was languishing in the previous Art of Drink design for about a year. I think it looks better. You can now search the site using the search bar in the top right hand corner. And finally, I've added related posts to articles. Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly.

by Caroline O'Neil - I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! First off, I know that many of you are "extremely" disappointed that I have not written an article for Darcy in a long time. I will admit that it has been almost a year since my last post. I still have a few more days before that happens. I do have a valid excuse for my absence though. Unfortunately, I have not been able to indulge for the last 7 months, we are expecting child #2 in the middle of March. Of course we can't forget that chasing the other toddler around is a full time job. Don't let his cute little smile fool you, and I assure you that he is plotting his next move, whenever he flashes that smile. Fionn, not Darcy.