Mixing ingredients together is easy, but when you get that magical combination you need a catchy name to tell the world how great it is, but sometimes a unique name can be the hardest part of the cocktail.
Recent Posts
Aviation Cocktail
The problem with cocktails, like the Aviation, is that they require ingredients that may be hard to find, well at least if they are to be done properly. Of course, when I make a cocktail, I want it done properly, so I am constantly on the lookout for ingredients that are not in my inventory. When I travel to a […]
Bar Tools & Equipment List: Part II
In the previous article on bartender tools, I looked at the equipment that you will use frequently. In this article, I’ll be looking at items that if you didn’t have, you would survive, but having them will make your life easier and your guests experience more pleasant. If you take bartending as a profession, then giving your customers the best […]
Bar Tools and Equipment List
Behind the bar, you need a lot of bar tools and equipment, often more than you think, especially if you want to be perceived as a professional. Most bars will have the essential equipment, such as shakers and bottle openers, but depending on where you work, they may not provide all the things that make your job easier. Aside from […]
Crown Royal
A series of Canadian whisky reviews should start with the royalty of Canadian whisky, Crown Royal, and one of the standards by which all other Canadian whiskies should be judged, only because it has been around for 80 years and is still immensely popular. Almost everyone who drinks whisky has heard, tasted or observed Crown Royal sitting on the back […]
Old Unopened Bottles of Whiskey
Ever wonder what the value of that old bottle of whisky you have in the basement is worth? Probably not as much as you hoped, but sometimes they are worth more than you imagined.
Bartenders Root Beer Recipe
When you work behind a bar, you’ll get the occasional odd request. Sometimes it for some bizarre drink, other times it for an odd ingredient and then there is the request for items that usually are not stocked in a typical bar, like root beer. Most bars have a limited supply of non-alcoholic carbonated beverages, and those are typically Coke, […]
Whisky Tasting
After the last two posts (Malt vs. Blend and Whisky vs Cognac) I think it would be good to tie up some loose ends and discuss some of the good comments that were posted. The one thing that these two simple research papers show is that tasting spirits, at least whisky and brandy are more difficult than we generally think. […]
Distinguishing Between Malt and Blended Whisky
Part I Many people assume that they can tell the difference between two, seemingly different, spirits. But the question is whether they are being a “posers” or a skilled drinker. People who are involved in the scotch world often refer to someone who will only drink single malt whiskies, as “malt snobs”. Some people chose to be a malt snob […]
Ability to Distinguish Whisky from Brandy
This is the second part of a write up on a persons ability to distinguish one spirit from another. Part one was Malt vs Blended whisky and this part is brandy vs whiskey. In the first research paper, it was concluded that an inexperienced whisky drinker could not distinguish between a single malt or blended scotch. Also, experienced whisky drinkers […]
Moscow Mule
If you want to blame one particular drink for the rapid growth of vodka, in North America, look no further than the Moscow Mule. It’s true that the Vodka Martini became the most popular vodka drink initially and spurred the premium vodka category, but it was the Moscow Mule that began the introduction of North Americans to vodka. Whether vodka […]
Vodka Tasting
For the past few days I’ve been working on a vodka study that I’m looking to publish in the next month or so. This vodka study is similar to the study involving malt and blended scotch identification, with a few modifications and additional analysis. First, the tasting involved 13 people, tasting six different vodkas, three times. There were a number […]
Jack and Coke Recipe
Learning from the century-old Rum & Coke recipe, making the best Jack & Coke is easy if you follow a few simple steps.
Salty Dog Cocktail
Grapefruit juice is a relatively common ingredient in cocktails, with the perennial favourite being the Greyhound, but the Paloma is better. Unlike a Screwdriver, the Greyhound isn’t nearly as sweet and even has a pleasant bitterness that is imparted by the grapefruit juice. There are people who do not enjoy the bitterness of grapefruit juice, so those people tend to […]