The Cobbler: A Drink of Infinite Possibilities

No, I’m not talking about those tasteless desserts at your family reunion. You know, the ones that contained canned peaches (or some other abort-able fruit) and a heavy “crust-like” substance surrounding all sides? Really, the only reason you ate them was because they were there and your only other option was the Swiss Miss Banana Pudding with “Nilla” Wafers on top. Cobblers can be one of summer’s greatest treats if done properly. Read more

The Whiskey Daisy

I would like to extend my apologies for not getting a classic cocktail up for you last Monday. At Drink Dogma, I am going to do my best to shed some light on the classics at the beginning of each week. In researching the Whiskey Daisy, it became quickly apparent that there are a lot of different recipes for this drink that hold very little in common with each other Read more

Bio-Fuel Cocktails: The Corn N’ Oil

This one is a hard one to sell at the bar. Ears of corn and bottles of Quaker State generally don’t invoke impressions of delicious cocktails. What’s worse is that when promoting this Bajan cocktail I inevitably face the question, “Well, why is it called a Corn N’ Oil?” Without a valid response, the perceived association with some type of crazy biofuel and the consequential risk of escalating oil prices being controlled by a Houston bartender can be just too much for some. That’s too bad because this cocktail is awesome. Read more

A New Perspective: Inwood Estates, Palomino-Chardonnay, 2008

Several weeks ago, I received emails from two people directly related to the wine industry in Texas in response to my post on Texas Wine. Seeing as how I can be a bit obsessive, I have been on a binge of drinking a new bottle of local wine on a regular basis. After a bit of correspondence they both had me convinced there was one Texas winery to which I needed to pay closer attention. Read more

Southern Star Brewery’s Pine Belt Pale

Great news! Houston (Conroe) has another micro-brewery and they are making some great beer. Southern Star Brewery in Conroe, just outside of Houston, finally released their first beer, Pine Belt Pale, last week, and I must say I am a big fan. If Southern Star is able to live up to the precedent set by this release, we are going to have another great Texas beer to add to our increasingly powerful local beer lineup. Read more

The Ramos Gin Fizz & The Evening of Enlightenment

A while ago, my wife and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary in New Orleans. A few months before, I had begun to develop an interest in classic cocktails after an accidental trip to a well-known watering hole in San Francisco. So, after a decent amount of research, I knew that we had to make it to the Swizzle Stick and Library Lounge for drinks before we headed back to Texas. Read more

Allagash Musette Oak-Aged Scotch Ale

I love being back in Houston. After 2 years in the cocktail backwoods of North West Arkansas, where a bottle of the local watery beer and a Jager bomb toped my list of great drinking experiences, and 4 years before when I passed my time shooting Jack and kicking back Coronas in a mostly dry region of West Texas, I find it refreshing to be crafting drinks at a bar where we are given the freedom to explore the Rosetta Stone that is the Savoy Cocktail book. Read more