A recent research paper published in Psychological Science has shown a relationship between bitter flavours and judgement. The interesting result was that after tasting something bitter, people were harsher in their judgement. If you are politically conservative, the effects are even more pronounced. Since bitters are a key part of cocktails, and alcohol in itself can be bitter to a […]
Author: Darcy O'Neil
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan, or informally known as a Cosmo, is a relatively new cocktail that was created in 1985. The Cosmo has become very popular in recent years with the help of one of my favourite shows Sex and the City. Since the Cosmo was mentioned so many times on the show, I decided to give it a try. The Cosmo […]
How to Make a Layered Shooter
When you first start layering shots, it can be difficult to get clean layers, with this technique you can do it quicker and easier so you can have perfect B-52s and Pousee Cafes.
Bartender vs Mixologist
As I was perusing the Liquid Muse’s blog, Natalie had a great topic in one of her posts. During an interview, she called Rick, from Martini Groove, a “mixologist” and his response was that the term should be banned from the English lexicon. I found that to be an odd response. But a little discussion started about which term is […]
Energy Drinks & Alcohol: L-Carnitine
In the first article on energy drinks, I looked at the effects of sugar and caffeine when combined with alcohol. This time I’m going to take a look at the role of an amino acid called L-Carnitine, which is in many of the energy drinks. It is usually in the amount of 250 mg per serving. The reason this ingredient […]
Energy Drinks and Vodka
The energy drink craze has taken hold in the past few years, and along with that, it has become a mixer of choice for a new generation. The king of all energy drinks is Red Bull, but there are a great number of competitors like Monster Energy, Sobe Adrenalin Rush, Woop Ass and Bawls. They one key ingredient in all […]
Origin of the Word Cocktail
This topic has been debated a lot and nobody really knows where the word came from, but every once in a while somebody comes across an old newspaper article discussing this topic. Well, as I was researching through some archives of old newspapers, I came across a couple of articles discussing the origin of the word “cocktail”. I decided to […]
Brooklyn Lager
It seems like the fight between David and Goliath, but in reality, it’s just a battle between beer brewers. Obviously, there are the megabrewers like Anheuser Busch and InBev which generate beer as a branded commodity and target the mainstream market. Then there are the smaller brewers who craft their beers more as an art and target people who appreciate […]
Trois Pistoles
When you say beer, most people think lagers like Molson Canadian, Budweiser, or Heineken. Even if a person thinks ale, they’ll be thinking of a pale ales or amber ales. But there is so much more the beer world has to offer. There is of course the stout category which most people have tried, but there is also a very […]
Mill Street Coffee Porter
I’m often torn between a crafty cocktail or a good cold beer. Both are great, and both have a time and place. If I’m hitting a bar, at the beach with friends, it’s beer. If I’m going out for a fine dinner, it’s usually a cocktail and wine. Manhattans, or a properly made Mai Tai, seem to hit the spot. […]
Noilly Prat Original Vermouth
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 […]
The Dawn of Tiki?
When you think Tiki, you think tropical drinks from exotic locations like Polynesia, and people such as Donn the Beachcomber. You may also know that the tiki fad didn’t begin until 1934. So, if Don the Beachcomber started the tiki trend, what were his influences? Obviously, the Caribbean and south pacific were big influences, but what exactly were these people […]