Recently in QA Category

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.

One of the hot topics in the cocktail world is rare or lost ingredients. Most of these rare ingredients are referenced in early recipe guides or still exist, somewhere in the world, in small quantities, sometimes even just a few bottles. Amer Picon and Abbott's bitters are a perfect examples. But occasionally you come across ingredients that no longer exist and there are no known bottles to reverse engineer. Montana Cordial Bitters is one such case.

After writing the article on the Dawn of Tiki, I had about a litre of prepared fruit juice leftover, so I've continued to make the drink from the Philippines. Even though I'm on my sixth or seventh one, the drink still has a peculiar property that makes me enamored with it. I've finally figured out one of the unique properties that makes it so enjoyable: fruit pectin.

This is a question that comes up fairly frequently. Either from new bartenders or just someone wanting to make a good drink. My general rule of thumb is to use more ice than you think is necessary. At the bar, I'll pack a glass with so much ice that it crests over the top. Once you add the liquids, the ice level drops substantially.