With Tales of the Cocktail 2011 a mere 90 days away (or less) it’s time to start getting your flight booked, hotel reserved and sessions picked. This year I am a co-presenter on two sessions, one of them being “Sodatender or Barjerk” with the esteemed David Wondrich. With my book on soda fountains (Fix the Pumps) selling decently and Dave’s […]
Author: Darcy O'Neil
Red Red Kroovy
A fan of Anthony Burgess, Stanley Kubrick or possibly Rob Zombie may understand the name of this cocktail, but for the unenlightened, the phrase “red red kroovy” comes from the book/movie “A Clockwork Orange”. It is used by the main character, Alex, to describe blood in the fictional Nadsat language. The phrase was subsequently used in the chorus of Rob […]
Barrel Aged Cocktails
What happens when you age a cocktail? Does barrel ageing help or hinder the flavour and what is happening chemically to the liquor mixture inside the barrel? Do you really need a barrel to make them? These are the questions everyone wants to know about aged cocktails, and really, this is a unique and little-understood process so let’s do the […]
Hurricane Cocktail
This is a classic cocktail that is fruity and strong with the two-star ingredients being rum and passion fruit. With other fruit juices added, this drink comes out like a type of fruit punch, with a big alcohol kick. It is believed that the drink was first created in 1939 at the Hurricane Bar in New York, but was made […]
Advice for New Bartenders
The number one email question I get is “what should a new bartender know before they start their first shift?” or “what should a new bartender do to becomes successful?”. So instead of answering each question independently, I figured I could put together a good summary post that will get the basics out of the way. This is also a […]
Lychee Fruit Cocktail
Lychee fruit in drinks has been around for a while and it still seems to be a good ingredient to use in a cocktail, not the “flash in the pan” most people thought it would be. The Lychee Martini is a little passe, just because it isn’t very complex. Sure, it was interesting because so many North Americans haven’t tried […]
Dark Caramel Syrup
One of the great things about mixology is the infinite number of ingredients to work with. One flavour that has been a favourite is caramel or burnt sugar. This ingredient provides a number of benefits to any cocktail, including colour, mouthfeel/texture and most importantly flavour! I have created a simple recipe that is great to use in cocktails. The key […]
Cocktail Menu / List – Aperitifs
In the quest for a well-balanced drink menu, I have included some basic mint based drinks, some classic cocktails, a few modern creations and then the aperitifs. The standard definition of an aperitif is a an alcoholic drink usually enjoyed as an appetizer before a large meal. It is derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means to open. Many […]
Schenley OFC Whisky
Schenley OFC was first made in 1955 at the Schenley distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec. According to the manufacturer/distributor, Schenley OFC is the most decorated Canadian whisky. It has won 25 Gold Medals for product excellence in 27 Monde Selection competitions. In Canada, Schenley OFC is an 8-year-old whisky, where as in the US it is a 6-year-old whisky, so taste […]
Red Moon Cocktail
There are some classic cocktails that use bitters as a key ingredient, the Negroni being a primary example. The problem is with the modern North American palate and its fixation on sugar laden drinks. Sweet, salt and sour seem to be fine but most North Americans shun bitter flavours. There is a small, but growing, minority that does enjoy bitter […]
Metaxa
When you think of Greek spirits the first thing comes to mind is Ouzo, the anise flavour liqueur. If you’ve tried Greek wine (Retsina) you might have liked it, or maybe not. Some of the wines use a pine resin to seal the barrels leaving a unique flavour that is what people remember about these wines. These wines are not […]
Still Waters Distillery
Starting a distillery from scratch can be a daunting task, especially in Canada, but the gentlemen at Still Waters Distillery have succumbed to their passion and taken the leap anyway. For cocktail aficionados, they are planning to produce a 100% rye whisky, but with ageing that is a few years away. Single malt whiskies seem to be their true passion, […]