(Click the image to download a printable version of all these recipes) The BarSmarts bartender education and certification program lists the following as 25 classic cocktails that every bartender should know how to make. For a cocktail enthusiast, it’s good knowledge to have for making a lasting impression on the ladies, or for coaching a […]
Category Archives: Spirits
Ginger Infused Vodka
“The ultimate addition to lemonade on a hot day, or a glass of ginger ale when you are under the weather.” All the recipes I’ve found are raw root, but roasting ginger makes for a superior infused vodka. It’s great in any number of cocktails (heat up a Cosmo or give the Moscow Mule an […]
Fix That Drink
If you throw together a cocktail at home and aren’t thrilled with the result, take a tip from the kitchen. Rather than tossing it out and starting over, take a sip of your experimental concoction and ponder what it needs. When making food, and your dish needs something, there’s a simple system: Bland? Add salt, […]
Ginger Mango-Rita
September is unseasonably warm in San Francisco, justifying the occasional tropical, blended drink. I was reminded by an old friend who came to visit last week, that I once seduced her with a frosty batch of frozen ginger mango margaritas. Serves: 1 Don’t bother making a half recipe. You will regret it when you run […]
Soda Siphon Shenanigans
At Tales of the Cocktail, I went to a session on Mixologists and their Toys, and after the first two presenters both talked at length on making sodium alginate sphericals (clearly they didn’t coordinate), the 3rd presenter demonstrated his new cocktail carbonating invention, the Perlini. During the Q&A I grabbed the mic and asked why […]
BLTini: Bestialized Little Tipple
Inspired by the Carnivorous Cocktails seminar at Tales of the Cocktail, I started Sunday brunch with the BLTini, a sandwich in a glass. I like my BLTs on potato bread, so I opted for vodka over gin, squeezed the bejeezus out of a gorgeous heirloom tomato, then decided that lettuce was lame and so opted […]
Ramos Fizz
After stealing two sips of a friend’s Ramos Gin Fizz at Rickhouse, I wanted to make my own. It’s one of those drinks that you don’t order just anywhere and it’s rarely worth the effort to make unless you are really trying to impress someone. Ramos Fizz 2 ounces Hayman’s Old Tom gin 1 egg […]
Jigger Is Not A Dirty Word
It’s the little cup your bartender uses to measure, and no matter how good he or she is, you should be grateful if it’s being used at the end of the night. Free-pouring a drink accurately is tough for anyone, and after a few hours with a shaker, fatigue can throw off even the most […]