At Tales of the Cocktail, my buddy Roberto and I stumbled into the “Hum Lab” at Hotel Monteleone, which was set up as a laboratory, with a wide array of ingredients and tools for visitors to make and fine-tune cocktails with Hum, and products from Perfect Puree and Preiss Imports. We were supposed to test …
Category Archives: Entertaining
Best of the Biz
Saturday night, I was lucky enough (or so I was told) to attend the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail. I’ll say first off that it was dull, and the food (which had to be donated, despite the outrageous ticket price?) was meager and also dull. The drinks were good and the event featured …
Cocktail Spectrum
I have been pondering why cocktail lists are always laid out in the same two ways: split into one page of classic cocktails and another of innovative drinks, or else divided by type of spirit, so there is a column each of rum drinks, vodka drinks, gin drinks and so on. I’ve been toying with …
Tales 2010
It’s time again for Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s biggest bartender convention. It’s going to be absurdly hot and humid, the parties are going to be outrageous, and I will get to learn a lot about booze. If you are going for the first time, here are my tips: 1. You won’t pay for …
My Father’s Favorite Poem
I can’t believe I’ve never mentioned one of the greatest poems by my favorite American poet, Mr. Ogden Nash. “Reflections on Ice-Breaking” is one of the most brilliant manipulations of the English language ever devised, and also my father’s favorite poem. Happy Father’s Day!
Booze Flash
In their monthly newsletter today, St. George Spirits announced the launch of their new website. Cringing with fear, I clicked over to discover a site that was cleanly designed, thoughtful, and loaded in an instant, which leads me back to a question that has been bothering me for months: Why must so many alcohol brands …
Old Old Fashioned
I saw the band Frightened Rabbit last night at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and their latest album just happens to be called “The Winter of Mixed Drinks,” so I can justify referencing the concert here. One of my favorites of their songs is “Old Old Fashioned,” which brings to mind the distinction between the …
SF Talent Featured on Shaker Faces
San Francisco Chronicle cocktail columnist Gaz Regan says the face bartenders make when they shake your drink is the same face they make during orgasm. If you’ve dated any of our SF bartenders, or others from around the country, you might recognize the mugs at ShakerFaces.com. My friends at Lush Life teamed up with Combier …
My New Scottish Rental Property: Timeshares Available
I just received my membership confirmation from the Friends of Laphroiag, the most brilliant beverage marketing program ever conceived. Every member is given a lifetime lease on a one-foot square plot on the island of Islay (pronounced “aye-la”), where the Scotch is made. The deal is, the distillery “pays you rent” in the form of …
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Back In The Press
Behind the Tasting Panel, my latest article for Drink Me Magazine just posted to their website. Read my behind the scenes coverage of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition on the Drink Me Magazine website, or pick up a copy of issue 7, out this weekend.