Air Infusions: Smoked Rye

I’ve got two obsessive hobbies: cocktails and large South American tropical fish. The .0005% of the world’s people who appreciate the cocktails don’t understand the fish, and the .0005% of the world’s people who appreciate the fish don’t understand the cocktails. I might be the only link between these two strange groups of hobbyists. Generally, my two hobbies have nothing to do with one another - the fish don’t like to drink I guess - but, I finally found a way to use my fish and cocktail knowledge together. The result was a delicious bottle of house-smoked Sazerac rye whisky. Read more

The Bartender’s Life

I just want to take a moment to clarify what it is actually like to be a bartender. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me every week that being a bartender has some how made me some sort of jigalo that people tip tremendously because I pass drinks across a counter. To be honest, I am kind of sick of this and other stereotypes involving my chosen career. Read more

The Maple Leaf Cocktail

Bourbon is a little angry at the cocktail world . For such a long time, it was a cherished standby of the refined palate, a refuge from the candy cocktail plague. Bourbon was a more respected American take on nobility, if such a thing exists. Yes, Elijah Craig would have been very proud. Read more

Sex and the City’s #@%^ing Cosmopolitans

That damn movie has everybody asking for cosmopolitans. I love turning people into cocktail enthusiasts, but man, I might not be able to take this much longer. Not only that, but when a proper cosmo is presented before these Sarah Jessica Parker wanna-bes, they question the validity of the drink because it doesn’t look like the radioactive pink drinks on HBO. Ok, if we’re going to do cosmos everyone, let’s do this right… Read more

The Ti’ Punch

I thought my fascination with Rhum Agricole was something that would be here today and gone tomorrow, but after my first cocktail containing the unusual spirit paired with some quirky pickled watermelon rind juice, I was hooked. Since that fateful day, I have gone through more bottles of Rhum Agricole than I would care to admit. A couple of months ago, I substituted Clement’s Premierre Canne Rhum for Gin in the Darb Cocktail. I also discussed more in depth, how this spirit is made. When one ponders tradition while thinking of Rhum Agricoles, the Ti’ Punch is one of the first drinks that comes to mind. I love a good Ti’ Punch. Read more

How To Make Your Own Bitters

I want to be like Antoine Peychaud. After finally confronting the realization that I will never live up to the old “Be like Mike commercials”, I lived in a world without a role model and guidance for several years. This void in my life, filled by a perilous journey towards a purposeless end (Masters degree), eventually had to end. Read more