Recent Posts

Blog Post

Spirited Awards Nomination

With Tales of the Cocktail 2011 on its way, nominations for the Spirited Awards are being solicited. With that being said, I’d love to get Fix the Pumps nominated in the Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book category. I’m setting my expectations at a reasonable level, considering that it is my first book and was self-published, just being nominated would be a […]

Science

Transvaluation (Positive Contamination)

In life there are few things we automatically like or love, we usually need a positive introduction by a trusted person to acquire a taste. This process is called “Transvaluation” and is the technical term for positive contamination. Transvaluation is rare compared to negative contamination because it requires an object or person, of significant influence, to imbue another item with […]

Science

Magical Thinking – Incorporation

In part one we looked at the Laws of Sympathetic Magic—Contagion and Similarity—and explained how they represent the sometimes illogical aspect of human nature. In this post I’ll expand on how these two laws influence human behaviour and how certain actions trigger emotional responses based on magical thinking. Many of the concepts aren’t necessarily new to anyone in the business, […]

Science

Laws of Sympathetic Magic: Introduction

Science is based on observation and reproducibility, but prior to genuine scientific understanding, humans reasoned that unexplainable phenomenons were caused by supreme beings and magic. This mentality is still a significant part of human behaviour and should be factored in food and drink creation because the actions of people do not necessarily follow the most logical path. Even though these […]

bar

Five Drink Predictions for 2011

It is that time of year where people like to predict what’s going to happen in the near future. And since I’ve been jumping on a number of bandwagons lately, why stop. Most of my predictions are less Nostradamus prophecy and more progressive thinking about where drinks are going. Or more likely, where I’d like drink trends to go. Feel […]

The History of the American Soda Fountain
Soda

Book: Fix the Pumps

Fix the Pumps tells the real history of the soda fountain, starting with its invention, through its golden era of creativity and into its dependence on patent medicine and narcotics. The history of the soda fountain is as vibrant as any other period in American history. Fix the Pumps provides a wealth of information on techniques employed by soda jerks. […]

Blog Post

Darcy O’Neil

Darcy S. O’Neil was born in Sarnia, Ontario and spent many of those years living near the beach. A cold Canadian beach, but a beach none-the-less. After high school, the decision of a career choice was whittled down to chemistry or the culinary arts. Chemistry was the winner. At the time it seemed logical that laboratory skills were more transferable […]

Blog Post

About Art of Drink

Art of Drink was spontaneously created in October 2005 as a way to document information on all things drink related. Darcy O’Neil had been bartending for a few years by this time and was unsatisfied with the drinks he was making and serving. This led him on a path of discovery, but having come from a scientific background, he felt […]

Soda

Soda Fountain History

Carbonated beverages are a resounding success, with Americans drinking 13 billion gallons (58 billion litres) of soda-pop every year. That’s about 3 quarts (3 L) per person, per week. Americans account for about half of the worldwide consumption. Considering that the US is only 5% of the world’s population, it’s safe to say Americans love their soda. Drinks are one […]

History

Hot Chocolate (1911)

December 12th seems to be National Cocoa day in the US. Why? I don’t know, but I’ll jump on this bandwagon because I came across an old and interesting recipe from an article in the Kansas City Star (December 1911) entitled “Hot Holiday Drinks to Serve”. This particular drink piqued my interest because it was titled “Cocoanut Milk Chocolate”. Coconut […]

Cuba Libre (Rum & Coke) Highball
Rum

Rum and Coke Taste Test

As simple as a rum and coke is, this drink can be vastly improved by using different rums. The best rum is a matter of personal choice, but here are a few suggestions.

Cocktails

Hot Toddy

It seems that the cold and flu season is now upon us. It appears that the Hot Toddy is in order.  The Hot Toddy originated in Scotland and is a mixed drink that is served hot. Now I made this one for the big baby. The little baby is stuck with some TLC. The Hot Toddy contains three key ingredients […]