The Last Word is one of the quintessential equal parts cocktails and a study in balance. Likely created pre-prohibition, the Last Word received a resurgence in the early 2000s when Seattle’s Zig Zag Cafe added to the menu. Many members of the pre-prohibition cocktail movement took note, and the cocktail first spread across Seattle, and […]
It’s almost Dyngus Day again, and rather than make our own Krupnik again, we opted to try Original Krupnik Honey Liqueur. Produced by Marie Brizard in Poland, there’s reason to suspect that this should be good quality liqueur for a reasonable price. A honey and herb liqueur infusion, this polish liqueur will give you one […]
The Highball is one of the proto-cocktail templates that underpins a variety of drinks from the Americano to the Cuba Libre to the Gin and Tonic. The concept is simple, spirit and sparkling water. Adding citrus and you can end up with a Buck, Collins, or Rickey. While the origins appear to be around the […]
Suntory Whisky Toki – more commonly referenced as Suntory Toki – is best known for its sterling reputation of making elevated Highballs. It’s made from a blend from Suntory’s three distilleries, Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita, primarily featuring the later two’s grain whiskeys. Suntory is specifically focused on blending with the whisky, aiming to show what […]
The Chrysanthemum is another cocktail that’s experienced some amount of recipe flux since it’s creation. Reportedly the original was actually equally parts dry vermouth and Benedictine. Most interpretations have turned this down even further, leading to a 2:1 ratio of Dry Vermouth to Benedictine. At an ounce of Benedictine, this seems like a lot. Still, […]
Handcrafted by Victoria Distillers in British Colombia, Empress 1908 Gin is a contemporary style gin that is infused with butterfly pea blossoms. With the use of this particular tea the gin harnesses one of the hottest trends in cocktails over the last couple years. The idea is that when acid touches the blue butterfly tea, […]
Cameron’s Kick first appears in the early 1920’s and, if you’ll believe this, promptly leaves out exactly who Cameron is or why the drink bears that name. Instead, the author Harry McElhone elaborates on the fact that the orgeat syrup in this case must be made with almonds. Having tried the cocktail both with syrups […]
When we first tried the Four Leaf Clover, the initial result was surprising to my fiancée. It was a great reminder that everyone’s palate is different, and so we made some tweaks by increasing the Irish whiskey to help it stand out. The result was something surprisingly creamy and (after tasting them side by side), […]
Irish Whiskey generally is gentler than bourbon or rye, and somewhat similar to scotch in its character. This can pose challenges when trying to find ingredients that provide the tensions to create balance. We wanted something that emphasized this balance, but could also give a hat tip to some of the imagery that plays heavily […]
Our track record with Irish Whiskey has felt like a long and winding road. We started with Jameson, which was fine. Moved on the Dubliner, which felt like an improvement, before going to the Busker, which seemed debatably better. That said, none of them ever quite hit wow. So when the opportunity to try Knappogue […]
The Sazerac is one of the first cocktails to appear and formally be recognized. A product of the New Orleans environment, the Sazerac demonstrated local ingredients giving spin to a drink. This relative of the old fashioned eschewed whiskey for cognac, and utilized the local bitters and sugars to drive it’s character. The result is […]
Barrell Seagrass was one of those polarizing whiskeys that made a lot of noise from reviewers over the past year. Consistently ranking highly, this Rye Whiskey is finished in Martinique Rum, Madeira, and Apricot Brandy Barrels for a one of a kind flavor. The result of this finishing is a character nothing quite like the […]