Lemon

The idea of sour mix is simply one of efficiency in a fast paced work environment, such as bar or big party. By premixing simple syrup and fresh squeezed citrus juice, and then bottling… [Continue]

A good drink can often be considered "moral suasion". A good one keeps you in your seat, but not by force, and a really good one can persuade you to happily open your wallet and order a second. When I came across this cocktail, in the 1873 Daily Picayune (New Orleans), it piqued my curiosity, partially because this was the very early years of the cocktail art, and it actually looked like a legitimate… [Continue]

The problem with cocktails, like the Aviation, is that they require ingredients that maybe 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 look out for ingredients that are not in my inventory.… [Continue]

Even though phosphates were closely associated with the soda fountain, the ingredient acid phosphate did crossover to the saloon and made it into a number of cocktail books. The one cocktail that often shows up in these guides is the Angostura Phosphate. This drink was a pick-me-up used to cure hangovers, settle the stomach and clear the head. Many of these drinks haven't been properly made… [Continue]

The class of drinks called “sours” are pretty common. The general recipe is spirit, lemon/lime, sugar, egg white and sometimes bitters. The Whisky Sour is a classic sour, which is probably the most commonly ordered in North America. But you can have a brandy sour, a Midori sour or a Pisco Sour. Pisco is the national spirit of Chile / Peru and they are currently still fighting… [Continue]