Somehow – despite all the time I spent running First Pour Wine – I never managed to make a Champagne Cocktail for my site. It’s far past time to reconcile this mistake. The Champagne Cocktail is a brilliantly simple drink that you should try given the chance – and a sugar cube. The Champagne Cocktail […]
Sometimes the bottle draws you in and draws you in with it’s mystical marketing charms. Named after a rum running schooner from the prohibition era, and with a cannonball like bottle, Kirk and Sweeney 12 has marketing in spades. In spite of this, their website gives very few details on the spirit contained within. While […]
In college a friend I considered to be knowledgeable about the finer things in life had an adamant position on martinis. A vodka martini was not a martini. Martini’s were made with gin. They were not to be shaken. Stirred only. Any deviation from this was blasphemy. I still personally believe he’s right, why else […]
Absolut’s basic product is a solid way to stock your bar. The flavor is relatively neutral, there aren’t too many edges, and the price is right. What if you want to step it up? Well Absolut has an answer for that – Absolut Elyx. Absolut Elyx Crafted from locally sourced winter wheat and distilled in […]
Although not particularly common, some prohibition drinks have found themselves inverted to make new variations. Among them are the Martini and the Manhattan. Part of the allure of an Inverted Manhattan or an Inverted Martini is a reduction in alcohol, and an emphasis on the flavors of the vermouth. This means these cocktails are heavily […]
When it comes to uncommon spirits to keep on your shelf, there are few as under represented as the Nordic aquavit. Depending on your market, you might be lucky to find one to two on your local liquor store’s shelf. Which is really quite a shame, as Aquavit is complex spirit in the vein of […]
Unlike most years, July 15th, 2020 is tax day. Like everything else, COVID-19 has given us something strange to contend with and fundamentally altered routine life as we know it. If you’re looking to turn back the clock, then perhaps you might visit the Income Tax Cocktail. The Income Tax Cocktail is actually a Bronx […]
Before we get into talking about Plantation 3 Star – it might be worth a moment to talk about Plantation. In light of recent events, Maison Ferrand has chosen to change Plantation’s name to Evolve. The name refers to a large farm – but due to the actual history of many of these farms and […]
A close cousin to the Boulevardier is the Old Pal. If you look closely at the original Boulevardier you’ll find a drink that closely resembles a Negroni – with the gin swapped out for bourbon. While the original ratio was equal parts, that ratio shifted over time to allow the whiskey to share the spotlight. […]
Dolin traces it’s history back to 1821 when vermouth was beginning to boom thanks to Carpano gaining the King of Sardinia’s seal of approval in the late 1700s. Variation began from the original recipe in short order, but stuck to the original formula of aromatic herbs and spice While Noilly Prat was first on the […]
Perhaps there is no cocktail that so embodies my grandfather as The Manhattan. The classic cocktail is one of the few to stand the test of time in more or less it’s original iteration. Made up of rye (or bourbon), sweet vermouth, and bitters – it’s an exercise in simplicity and layering flavors. Each component […]
Vermouth has a nasty reputation. People think they hate the stuff, but really, they just never have had the opportunity to enjoy a good vermouth. For too long, vermouth was abused. Opened, forgotten, oxidized and then poured into a Martini or Manhattan in a sparse amount. Just ruins the whole drink. If only there were […]